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We believe stories about our work help to illustrate what our range of services means for individuals we serve. Our investors make this work possible.
This collection of stories will continue to grow, so please check back periodically to read more.
Helping Youth Succeed After Foster Care
Bringing Services Into the Community
Bringing Families Together
Giving Children a New, Healthy Start
The Road to Self-Suffiency & Hope
FAST Strengthens Families & Boosts School Success
Setting Families on a New Course
Helping Youth Succeed After Foster Care
“When I needed interviewing clothing, they were there. When I needed stuff for my car, they were there. Even when I need someone to talk to, they are there. So when I turn 21, I will miss them a lot, but they know I will come and visit them,” said Anna*, a youth in Family & Children Services’ Independent Living Program.
For the youth served through the Independent Living Program, also known as ILP, turning 18 is both an exciting and terrifying milestone. They exit the foster care system and enter adulthood, generally without family support to help them ease into maintaining housing, paying their bills, and figuring out the innumerable big and small tasks of supporting one’s self.
Our ILP staff strives to teach the youth strong life skills, ranging from decision-making and goal-setting to how to find a job, rent an apartment, and open a bank account. They also emphasize staying safe, with workshops on relationship violence and risky behaviors. For youth interested in college or job training, the staff connects them with financial assistance programs. Anna will be the first in her family to attend college.
Some of the youth in the program are also juggling parenthood. During the last year, grant support from Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Service Area enabled the ILP staff to provide a parent education series, as well as rides to prenatal and well-baby check-ups, for new mothers in the program. The ILP staff hopes to build on these resources this year, while also launching an expanded healthy living curriculum through the support of Kaiser Permanente.
We thank the County of Santa Clara, the John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes, Kaiser Permanente, Union Bank of California, Valle Monte League, and our individual donors for investing in the youth we serve and strengthening the future of our community.
Learn more about ILP.
Bringing Services Into the Community
Each day Family & Children Services brings its services to where children, adults, and families need them: schools, childcare centers, health clinics, workplaces, and community centers. Through our range of partnerships, we offer services at more 100 locations.
We offer on-site services at public and private schools, nonprofit childcare centers, the Columbia Neighborhood Center in Sunnyvale, the County of Santa Clara Mental Health Court, transitional housing for youth, HIV/AIDS clinics, the Billy DeFrank LGBT Center, County of Santa Clara Family Resource Centers, and in client homes.
This accessibility makes it easier for children, youth, adults, and families to access the help they need, be it mental health care, parenting education, counseling, substance abuse treatment, or referrals.
It is our goal to continue to grow our community-based services, bringing our services to those who are underserved, who would not seek out help on their own, or are unable to travel to appointments due to barriers of time, transportation, or funds.
You can help us bring our services to those in need through your financial support. We invite you to join us in strengthening individuals, families and communities.
Together, we are creating stronger, safer, and more stable homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
Bringing Families Together
Maxine* moved into the home of her grandparents when she was three-years-old. Like many grandparents who become primary caregivers when their children are unable to raise their own children, Sue and Bill were not prepared for this unexpected life change. They especially were unprepared to care for a child who could not hear or speak with them. Maxine’s mother, who lived almost constantly under the influence of alcohol, had known her daughter was Deaf, but had not sought services for her. Feeling embarrassed about the situation and fearing that any services would be more than they could pay, Sue and Bill decided to wait until Maxine started school.
When kindergarten began, Maxine’s teacher assumed her behavior and lack of participation resulted from not attending preschool. With many challenging students, she was not able to explore the issue further. Later in the school year, a routine hearing test, revealed the problem. The school nurse referred Sue and Bill to a local health clinic for a doctor and to Family & Children Services for support services.
After an initial consultation, one of the agency’s social workers who specializes in working with children and adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and their families came for the first home visit.
“When the social worker came we must have had 100 questions for her. ‘How can we tell her this?’ ‘What does she mean when she does this?’ ‘What do we do now?’ All of the stress and worry that we had felt came to the surface,” said Sue. “She calmed us down and explained how she would help us learn to communicate and build a real relationship with our granddaughter. She gave us hope that we could deal with this and that the challenges were not so huge.”
Now 9, Maxine continues to meet with her therapist at Family & Children Services. Using sign language, which she learned through a referral to a specialist, Maxine is able to address her feelings about her early years, discuss things that trouble her, and strengthen her self-esteem. They also work on her social skills, something she did not learn earlier as most children because of the communication gap. She is doing much better in school and at home. Through her therapist, the family has connected with other families with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and they have built a supportive network of families and friends.
“This is not the life I expected for my retirement years. I admit that. Raising children was hard enough when I was young. Without Family & Children Services, I don’t know what we would have done. The staff introduced us to the Deaf community, taught Sue and I about deafness and the Deaf culture, and connected us with so many resources. We’re enjoying our new life with Maxine. I feel enriched every day watching her grow,” said Bill.
Learn more about services for children and adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Giving a Child a New, Healthy Start
Olivia had been attending her childcare center for only two weeks when the staff began to wonder if something was wrong. The three-year old sat alone and resisted the children's and staff members' attempts to play with her or include her in activities. He seemed shut off from the world.
"My staff suspected Olivia had been abused," said Michelle, the childcare center director. "Many of the children in our center come from high-need families. Since partnering with ECS (Early Childhood Services), we've been able to address the kids' emotional health needs at a new level. Olivia's was another case where we were so glad to be able to call in experts."
Michelle contacted the coordinator of the ECS program at Family & Children Services and explained what the staff had observed. One of the ECS therapists came to the center and observed Olivia in the classroom and met with her. Olivia did not seem to respond emotionally to anything that she saw, heard, or experienced. The therapist brought in the agency's child psychiatrist for further evaluation. This visit, like the therapist's assessment, was at no cost to the family.
Olivia had been passed from family member to family member due to her mother's problems with substance abuse and an absent father. The psychiatrist diagnosed her with attachment disorder. A good sign for the future was that Olivia was now living with her grandmother, who had committed herself to provide Olivia with her first stable home. "I was worried about Olivia. She didn't act like other kids. I thank Michelle every day for getting us help. I live on Social Security, so I can't pay for such care," she said.
In addition to overseeing Olivia's progress and treatment, the therapist trained the center's staff to recognize attachment disorder from warning signs, so they can better support other children like Olivia who walk through their doors.
Learn more about the Early Childhood Services Program.
Support services like these by means of a donation or by volunteering.
The Road to Self-Suffiency & Hope
Marlene, 25, came to Substance Abuse Services after the court had ordered her into treatment. Until she completed treatment and other court-ordered obligations, she would not be considered for reunification with her daughters, who had been placed in foster care.
Recovery brought challenges in several areas of Marlene’s life. Gradually, through participation in all-women group treatment, she found hope. Encouragement helped her to see that disappointment was not inevitable, and this motivated her to stay on track. A sponsor and new friends, from both inside and outside of the treatment program, formed a network of positive, healthy support that helped her get through each day.
“It’s not an excuse, but I've had a lot of bad things happen to me since I was very young. I used for a long time for so many reasons, and I couldn’t see a life without drugs. Working with my counselor and women in the group, being heard and understood, has cleared some of my fears away. Now I can focus on reunifying with my children and seeing our futures in a positive light,” she said.
Marlene’s story is not unusual in Family & Children Services’ Substance Abuse Services program. At any point in time, about 200 adults are participating in outpatient treatment at our San Jose office. We have served adult clients through a contract and partnership with the Santa Clara County Department of Alcohol and Drug Services (SCCDADS) for more than 20 years. Almost 700 adults received outpatient treatment last year. Of those who completed treatment, 90% reported continued abstinence or reduced substance use, and either job-readiness or employment.
“Because our clinicians are mental health professionals with deep understandings of and training in addiction and recovery, they are able to assist clients when mental health issues arise. This allows clients to address these issues, which could be a barrier to their recovery, as part of their treatment sessions” said Howard Lagoze, Director of Medi-Cal Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services.
Recent advances in the science of addiction have corrected many historical misconceptions. Researchers now view addiction as a chronic, relapse-prone brain disorder, with biological, psychological, and social origins. This means that addiction is similar to other chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, which require significant changes in patterns of thought and behavior as part of their long-term management.
Substance Abuse Services strives to include such “cutting-edge” advances in addiction treatment in its program. For the past year it has been part of a SCCDADS pilot study that involves gathering regular and systematic client feedback on progress in treatment and their feelings about the usefulness of the treatment experience. The aim is to increase client engagement in treatment, and clinician understanding of what is and isn’t working for each client. The ultimate goal is better outcomes in reduced periods of time.
“Our clients come to us with multiple personal and environmental challenges that complicate treatment and recovery. These can include such factors as traumatic histories of abuse and domestic violence, criminal justice system involvement, and dysfunctional family dynamics. The incredible rewards of this work come from participating in and witnessing the dramatic turnarounds in individual and family functioning that come with a client’s commitment to a life without alcohol and other drugs,” said Charley Laufersweiler, Program Director of Substance Abuse Services.
Learn more about Substance Abuse Services.
Support clients like Marlene and services like these by means of a donation or by volunteering.
FAST Strengthens Families & Boosts Academic Success
When Ernie was referred by his second grade teacher to the FAST (Families and Schools Together) Program run by Family & Children Services at his school, he was not doing well academically and he was frequently disruptive in class. His teacher believed that if Ernie’s family participated in FAST’s multifamily program, it would help his academic performance.
The FAST coordinator invited Ernie’s parents to an informational meeting to learn more about the program. Only his mother was able to attend. She explained that her husband was working two jobs, which not only would prevent him from participating in FAST but left him uninvolved in their children’s school activities more generally.
FAST’s mission is to enhance family communication and overall functioning, increase parental involvement in school, and build family social support networks. The participation of the whole family is a significant contributor to achieving these positive outcomes for children and families, so the FAST team decided to contact Ernie’s father anyway.
After talking with the FAST program coordinator, his father understood how important it was for him to participate and allowed the FAST team to write a letter to his employer, asking if his work schedule could be rearranged on the days of FAST meetings. His employer agreed.
The family joined other families in attending the FAST weekly meetings. At each meeting the FAST team would coordinate structured interactions between parents and their children, parents and other parents, and parents and the school staff. Families also would spend at least 15 minutes in uninterrupted time together, which children in FAST consistently rate as their favorite part.
Five weeks into the program, the FAST team was seeing positive changes within Ernie’s family: communication had increased, his parents were more active in Ernie’s academics, and Ernie's attendance, academic performance, and classroom behavior were greatly improved.
“FAST helped our family to spend more quality time together on a regular basis. It also connected us with a group of parents. We all encourage and advise each other now. Being at school for meetings and getting to know more about how the school works made me more comfortable talking with my son’s teacher and the staff and asking questions,” said Ernie’s mother.
Learn more about FAST and other services for students and families.
Setting Families on a New Course
When a third grade boy brought a metal chain to school, he had no idea that he was setting the stage for the transformation of his family and his school life. He had not yet encountered Family& Children Services' Families and Schools Together (FAST) program.
Adam was referred to FAST, a program Family & Children Services has operated for 20 years, after he brought the 3-foot metal chain to school. The principal knew Adam well: He was sent to see her regularly because of discipline issues. He found it difficult to stay focused on the lessons and listen to his teacher. The principal knew of FAST’s success in reaching other students and asked the staff to talk with his parents about the program.
After hearing about their son’s behavior and the risk he faced of getting into serious trouble and not finishing school, Adam’s parents agreed to participate in the 9-week FAST program at Adam’s school. This was their first time participating in school activities and they were nervous. Family & Children Services’ FAST Program staff helped to put them at ease, assuring them that the program was offered in Spanish (they spoke only very basic English) and they would meet other families coping with similar issues.
The FAST program is designed as a close collaboration between families, the school, and the program staff. In addition to Family & Children Services’ FAST staff members, who have expertise in child development, parenting, education, and community resources, the FAST team includes a parent partner, a parent who graduated from FAST previously; a school partner representing the school; and childcare providers. Everyone on the team helped Adam's family to become engaged in FAST.
Adam, his younger sister, and infant brother received targeted attention during children’s activities. They practiced sharing, communicating fairly, resolving differences, and helping each other. His parents received coaching on alternative discipline techniques, ways to provide the structure Adam needed, and ways to improve communication within the family. Adam’s elder brother Marco, a sophomore in high school, while initially reluctant to participate, began to see the impact of his behavior on his Adam and talked with the FAST team about how to be a positive role model for his brothers and sisters. Recognizing Marco’s natural leadership skills, the FAST team found ways for him to develop these skills through the session activities.
Now successful graduates of the 9-week FAST Program curriculum, the whole family is participating in the two-year aftercare program, FASTWORKS. They continue to practice what they learned, strengthen their connections with a support network of neighborhood families, and increase their appreciation of each other. The principal is pleased to see Adam on the playground during recess; his teacher no longer has to send him to the office for disruptive behavior.
* Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
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