"FAST helped me to be more comfortable asking questions at my child's parent/teacher conference."

- A parent who graduated from Family & Children Services' FAST Program

Family & Children Services is the only organization in the San Jose region certified to offer Families and Schools Together (FAST), a program recognized for its ability to positively impact youth attitudes and behaviors, strengthen family functioning, empower parents, and build protective factors to support youth resilience and prevent risky behaviors.

We target our services to neighborhoods in the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose which have been identified by the city as 'hot spots' for violence and gang activity. In addition to working closely with schools and neighorhood families, Family & Children Services' Families and Schools Together (FAST) Program is a proud prevention partner in the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force for the City of San Jose.

Our efforts to support families in these areas and to help children stay in and advance in school are supported through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, including the Morrison & Foerster Foundation, and prevention-focused funding from the City of San Jose and County of Santa Clara. We proud of the impact our donors are helping us make: Recent FAST evaluations found that 100% of parents reported a reduction in child behavior problems (and an improvement in pro-social behaviors) which could have had a negative impact on the young person’s education; and 100% reported an improvement in their relationship with their child. In a recent evaluation by the City of San Jose, 93% of F&CS’s FAST children reported handling anger better, and 97% reported getting along better with others.

The impact can be seen through the Ruiz family's story:

The Ruiz family was referred to FAST by their twins' first grade teacher. The teacher was concerned about the girls were falling behind in class, where they were easily distracted - especially by each other. After meeting with our FAST staff and hearing about the teacher's concerns, the parents agreed to participate.

During FAST's parent workshops, Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz were attentive and engaged. After one session, Mrs. Ruiz came up to a FAST staff member and explained that the workshop had made her aware of the knowledge she and her husband lacked in how to effectively manage their daughters' behavior. A few days later, the FAST staff visited the Ruiz family, so they could observe the family at home. Together, they developed a behavior modification plan for the girls that was rooted in positive reinforcement. The girls were excited that their reward for being mindful of their behavior would be quality individual time with their parents.

"I had not realized that the girls needed and wanted time with us on their own, not just as a twin pair," said Mrs. Ruiz.

When FAST staff followed up with the family to see how things have progressed, Mr. Ruiz said, "It is already working. It's easier for us to get ready in the mornings, they are doing more independently, and they are following directions better."

As for their teacher, she also reported improvement in the twins' behavior. "It is now rare that I need to take time to speak with them about their actions, and they are participating more actively in lessons," she said.

Learn more about FAST .

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