ACTIVE
Nest Homeboy
Los Angeles, California | 2026-Present
OUR PARTNERS
Homeboy Industries
UCLA Applied Developmental Psychology Program
Free, play-based early childhood care for children of Homeboy Industries families — in the heart of downtown LA.
Nest Homeboy is a free, play-based childcare program for children ages three months to four years whose parents are participating in Homeboy Industries’ comprehensive reentry and recovery programming — addressing what Homeboy families consistently identify as their greatest barrier to participation: lack of accessible, affordable childcare.
Operating weekly at Homeboy’s Downtown Los Angeles campus during program hours, Nest Homeboy is intentionally two-generational: while parents engage in their own healing and career development, their children receive healing-centered early childhood education from trained Nest facilitators working alongside UCLA Applied Developmental Psychology interns who provide one-on-one support and consistent, responsive caregiving.
Looking Forward
The 2026 pilot is designed to inform the development of a permanent childcare facility at Homeboy Industries, which would ultimately serve hundreds of young children annually. Beyond its direct impact, Nest Homeboy is establishing a replicable model for integrating early childhood education into reentry and rehabilitation programs — demonstrating how organizations supporting families affected by incarceration can more effectively facilitate transformation for parents while supporting children’s healing and development.
Recognition & Awards
2026
Aspen Institute Trust in Practice Award
In 2026, our partnership with Homeboy Industries was recognized with the Aspen Institute Trust in Practice Award — honoring the collaborative model bringing together Homeboy Industries, Nest Global, and UCLA for intergenerational healing work in Los Angeles.
2026
LA2050 Grants Challenge
In fall 2026 Nest Homeboy was selected for an LA2050 Grants Challenge award, funded by the John N. Calley Foundation. The Grants Challenge drew more than 110,000 votes from Angelenos.
The award will sustain free, healing-centered care for the children of parents in Homeboy’s reentry and job-training programs through 2027.
2026
NPR/KCRW Feature
In 2026, Nest Homeboy was featured on NPR station KCRW in a story on how the program is reimagining childcare for families affected by gang involvement and incarceration. Reporter Clare Wiley spoke with Director of Research & Global Health Dr. Xinshu She about Nest’s child-led approach. The story was later re-aired on KQED’s The California Report.
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