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A Brief History
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Family & Children Services has served children, youth, and adults in Silicon Valley since the early 1940s. As Silicon Valley has grown and developed over the decades, so has Family & Children Services. We provide a brief outline here of the agency's evolution. In doing so, we pay tribute to the countless volunteers, Board members, donors, funders, staff members, clients, and supporters who made it all possible.
| 1942 |
In San Jose, veterans returning from World War II needed psychiatric services. Concerned mental health professionals and community members launched a temporary psychiatric clinic, which came to be known as Mental Health Service of Santa Clara County, to meet this new and growing need for mental health services for veterans and their families. |
| 1948 |
In September, Mental Health Service of Santa Clara County incorporated as a nonprofit agency. The IRS determines the agency’s qualification as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in May 1949. Adult and Child Guidance Center (ACGC) developed out of this clinic and expanded its services to meet other community mental health and then social service needs. |
| 1949 |
In Palo Alto, a community survey in the mid-1940s identified a need for supportive services for children and families dealing with financial stresses, unemployment, substance abuse, family violence, and mental health issues. In 1949, Family Service Association of Palo Alto (later known as Family Service Association of the Mid-Peninsula and then as Family Service Mid-Peninsula/FSMP) began to provide counseling services for children, youth, adults, and families from its office on Waverley Street. Financing for the agency was provided by the Palo Alto Youth Fund. Doctors and psychiatrists volunteered their time to provide services. |
| 1958 |
Family Service Mid-Peninsula began construction of the building that houses the current Palo Alto office of Family & Children Services. Over the years, services were added to meet community needs. Added services included a Teen Hotline, family violence prevention services, and a special program for families experiencing separation and divorce. |
| 1990s |
Adult and Child Guidance Center and Family Service Mid-Peninsula collaborated, along with Family Service Association of San Mateo, on funding proposals for technology upgrades to address computer system issues raised by the Year 2000 problem (Y2K) and to utilize technology to increase operational efficiency. |
| 1997 |
Adult and Child Guidance Center merged with Family Service Association of Santa Clara County. Through the merger, Adult and Child Guidance Center extended its geographic reach, doubled its client base and operating budget, and added key services, including outpatient substance abuse treatment. |
| 2001 |
Adult and Child Guidance Center and Family Service Mid-Peninsula merged to form Family & Children Services. The combined agency had a budget of $5 million. The two agencies, both rooted in mental health services, brought together unique areas of expertise, including services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community from Adult and Child Guidance Center and family violence and abuse prevention services from Family Service Mid-Peninsula. Family & Children Services’ area of service now stretched from central San Mateo County throughout Santa Clara County. |
| 2009 |
Family & Children Services marked its 60th year of service to the community as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Annually, the agency serves approximately 7,000 children, youth, and families at more than 100 community-based locations in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
In the fall of 2009, Family & Children Services added two new agency-operated locations to meet the needs of its expanded services: North First Street and Sobrato House (1st floor), both in San Jose. |
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Spotlight
Family & Children Services is proud to have served children, youth, adults, and families in Silicon Valley for more than 60 years. Over the decades, we have grown and helped more because of the support of countless individuals and organizations. Here, members of the Kiwanis Club arrive to lend a hand. more
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