Since 1976, the Novato Youth Center has offered programs to youth and their families in the community. Our mission is to inspire and prepare youth to succeed. We accomplish this by supporting their development in: academics and learning; health and well being; personal enrichment through arts and athletics; and social interaction and community engagement.

The NYC is a 501c3 non-profit organization that offers a wide range of enriching services designed to nurture youth of all ages, from the babies taking their first steps through teens preparing for college. The center was built as a grassroots efforts by community volunteers and is one-of-a-kind center based in Novato, Marin County, CA. Throughout the course of our 34-year history NYC's programs have continued to evolve based on needs expressed by youth, parents and community leaders. Today, we serve over 3,300 youth and families annually from Novato and 17 surrounding cities.More than 35% of our staff is bilingual; we strive to reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of our community. We also pride ourselves on service to all, ensuring that children of low income families have access to our programs.

Our 14 programs and services are offered in our 23,000 sq. ft. main facility, on school campuses, and at the Novato Wellness Center. Programs include:

• Early Childhood Education: babycare, pre-toddler, toddler, preschool, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten programs
• School Age Childcare: summer camp, after school childcare
• Youth and Family Counseling: mental health counseling, parent-child interaction and attunement therapy, school based counseling, internship training program
• Novato Wellness Center: weekly drop-in wellness clinic and more
• Vibrant Novato: Novato School Readiness, School Age Family Advocacy, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Promotoras

Learn more about us by reading some of our families' Success Stories.