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Family Service Agency of San Mateo County
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Family Service Agency of San Mateo County is a private, nonprofit organization that for over 50 years has helped people of all ages and backgrounds build positive and productive lives through the provision of vital programs and services. Headquartered in downtown San Mateo, California at 24 Second Avenue, Family Service is supported by government and foundation grants, individual contributors within the community, and the fundraising efforts of four active auxiliaries. In 2007, Family Service completed a $7.5 million capital campaign for a new headquarters. The state-of-the-art building has increased the organization’s capacity to serve people in crisis by offering a safe and central location where clients can one-stop-shop crucial services. Mission Family Service empowers children, families and older adults to achieve self-sufficiency, building a strong and caring community. Programs are offered in the following areas: child development and education; support of healthy family interaction; parent education and coaching; wellness and life-long learning for older adults; and financial empowerment. Family Service works in partnership with clients in a helping-hand approach that provides comprehensive services so that children, families and older adults can acquire the tools and skills for lasting change. Organization PROGRAMS Family Service’s diverse programs and services span the gamut from helping infants get off to the best possible start in life to empowering older adults striving to maintain their independence. Children For children, the Child Development and Education Program offers working parents quality, affordable child care, providing their children with developmental experiences that prepare them for future success at school and in life. Each day, Family Service cares for 400 children throughout San Mateo County ranging in age from six weeks to 12 years old through six child development centers, children’s waiting rooms at two court houses, and 12 private homes as part of the Neighborhood Child Care Program. The organization has established itself as a local forerunner in child development and education by opening the first subsidized center-based infant program in San Mateo; by providing care for the children of homeless families and teen mothers; and by being one of the few non-profits offering quality, affordable care on a large scale to low-income San Mateo County residents. Families For families, a Counseling and Visitation Program provides a safe haven for the supervised visitation and exchange of children between separated and divorced parents, as well as an array of counseling resources that help promote healthy families and individuals. As part of this program, Family Service holds a bi-monthly Kids in the Middle workshop for separating or divorcing parents, which provides them with the tools to protect their child’s and their own well-being. Among the program’s numerous therapeutic options is a cutting-edge therapy practice developed by the University of California at Davis: Parent Child Interaction Therapy, or P.C.I.T., a form of parent coaching that engages both parental and child participation throughout a series of supervised sessions. In 2003, Family Service’s Counseling and Visitation Program was selected as one of four national demonstration sites by the United States Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Family Service also serves families via its Ways to Work Family Loan Program, which provides low-interest used car loans to low-income families to help facilitate employment and self-sufficiency. Older Adults For older adults, the organization’s Senior Employment Program provides key resources--including training, internships and placement--for older workers pursuing employment. The organization’s Senior Peer Counseling Program offers free therapy to older adults age 55+ in a variety of languages (English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog) and also serves the LGBT community. Counseling is provided by volunteers. In addition, the Family Service Fair Oaks Intergenerational Center, in Redwood City, offers older adults nutritious meals, exercise and fitness programs, a variety of life-enrichment classes, and social interaction among peers. The majority of adults served by this center are low-income older adults. Client Demographics Nearly 30% of clients are under the age of 19; Single parents make up 18% of the clientele; 69% of clients are female; 96% of client families' incomes are under the self-sufficiency level for a family of three in San Mateo County. Client Ethnicity: Asian & Pacific Islander 9%; African American 10%; Caucasian 20%; Latino/Hispanic 48%; and other 13%. Auxiliaries and Events Family Service is supported by four volunteer auxiliary groups in the region: Hillsborough; Foothill; Valley; and Red-Car-Bel (named for the cities of Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont). Among the auxiliaries’ events and activities are Hillsborough’s annual spring gala benefit; Foothill’s Holidays on a High Note home entertaining benefit; Valley’s spring house tour and volunteer appreciation luncheon; and Red-Car-Bel’s Family Tree collectibles shop in San Carlos, which donates all proceeds to Family Service. Family Service also hosts an annual Winners Breakfast to celebrate graduating high school seniors and other individuals from throughout San Mateo County who have triumphed over extreme adversity to succeed. Honorees receive a $1,000 scholarship during the event. Publications Family Service distributes the Family Focus newsletter twice annually to its supporters, clients, and local community. An annual report is also released . History Family Service was established on the heels of World War II, when thousands of Americans migrated to the West Coast searching for a new life. The move west brought great upheaval for many of these immigrant families, quickly underscoring the need for professional counseling services within the growing San Mateo County community. While at this time a network of Family Service agencies had developed throughout the United States under the auspices of Family Service Association of America (FSAA)—now known as the Alliance for Children and Families—they had not yet planted roots in San Mateo County. Subsequently, few resources were available after the war for troubled families. A special study committee funded by the local Community Chest (the early name for the Bay Area Crusade and the United Way) recommended that a county-wide organization be formed. It was determined that such an organization would qualify for membership in the FSAA, while not duplicating services already in place. An organizing committee was formed and Family Service opened for business on September 25th, 1950 with the mission of serving the well-being of individuals, families and the community by assisting those in need through advocacy and the provision of direct services. The organization’s first home was a three-room office at 1117 South B Street in San Mateo with an operating staff of one full-time executive director and part-time counselor. Family Service’s organizing committee, in turn, became the first Board of Directors, while funding came from the local Community Chest and a private donation. The organization has blossomed from these modest beginnings to its current headquarters in an 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office building located in downtown San Mateo. Family Service also operates several off-site child development and child care facilities, and the Fair Oaks Intergenerational Center for older adults. See Also
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