Riordan to Speak at Clinic’s Anniversary

Mayor Richard Riordan will help the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic celebrate its 35th anniversary Thursday.

The nonprofit clinic, founded in 1962, helps more than 4,500 children and their families each year, said Lori Kent, a spokeswoman for the agency.

Riordan will speak about “The Challenge of High-Risk Children: The Response of the Community” and clinic officials will discuss their programs for emotionally troubled, neglected or abused children. The public event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

“When we started out, we focused primarily on child abuse but we have been expanding our programs to cover a broader range of problems,” said Kent. “We have been very successful in helping many of these children function normally in society, to just get by on a day-to-day basis.”

Informational displays will be set up and program directors and therapists will be on hand to answer questions and provide information to the public, Kent said.

Among the clinic’s programs to be highlighted are those on child abuse and delinquency prevention, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, art therapy and recreational therapy.

The free anniversary celebration and open house will be held in the clinic’s community room, 9650 Zelzah Ave., Northridge.

For more information, call (818) 993-9311.