Rebecca A. Skrdla

Rebecca A. Skrdla, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to raising public awareness of child support issues. Ms. Skrdla has resided in Monterey County since 1977 and has served in many capacities with all of them contributing to healthy and happy childhoods for children. These include Girl Scouts, Ariel Children’s and Western Stage Theaters, Pop Warner Football and as a respite care volunteer for the Child Abuse Prevention Council. Ms. Skrdla serves as a CASA (Child Appointed Special Advocate) for Monterey County and was recently trained as a Celebrate Recovery Team Leader, a 12 step program at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Ca. She is a volunteer for the Hartnell Foundation and has hosted 14 high school or college age students from seven foreign countries in her home. Currently, Ms. Skrdla attends the 1st Presbyterian Church and serves in its Early Childhood department.

Ms. Skrdla’s work in public awareness of child support issues began in 2000 when, as a single mother, she requested the opportunity to intern at the Monterey County Department of Child Support Services while working toward a Human Services Degree at CSUMB. Previously a stay at home parent, she graduated from Hartnell College in 1999 with a degree in Human Services and a Certificate in Counseling. While attending Hartnell she served in student government as Secretary, Senator, and Student Trustee to the governing Board of Trustees and as the California State Representative in the California Community College’s Chancellor’s office in Sacramento.

The goals of the Hide ‘N Seek Children’s Foundation organization are to put the faces of children with the words “child support” and remind both parents that they play a vital role in their children’s lives. The organization puts special emphasis on emotional and financial support. The philosophy behind the organization is that communities will be safer and stronger fiscally and the public at large benefits when the community takes a stand that expects and promotes responsible parenting. Utilizing TV, newspapers, magazines, and display in schools, churches, hospitals, day care centers and businesses, Hide ‘N Seek prints give a positive yet directive message for both parents to provide emotional and financial support to all children under age 18. Hide ‘N Seek has provided community service opportunities for over 80 students in the last two years resulting in almost 600 hours towards their graduation requirements.

In 1998, Ms. Skrdla led a student fundraiser for the “Pennies from Heaven Campaign” and raised approximately $10,000.00 by collecting pennies and putting on a retirement dinner for one of Hartnell’s College’s best loved and most esteemed teachers, Mr. Paul Aschenbrenner. The scholarship has granted two to three scholarships each year for the past eight years. Ms. Skrdla was the recipient of the Lester Boronda Scholarship for students showing great promise in the arts and traveled to Spain where she took summer courses at the University of St. Louis in Madrid. She was also selected to represent Hartnell College in the Washington DC Leadership forum to meet with congressional legislators to discuss how the Welfare Reform Bill would affect community college students. Ms. Skrdla was the event planner for the 1st National Steinbeck Museum Anniversary Gala in 1999.