A message from Laurie Wishard, President of Family Service Agency of San Mateo County

For over half a century, Family Service Agency of San Mateo County has been dedicated to helping struggling children, families and older adults in the greater Peninsula region make positive and productive changes in their lives. As we perpetually strive to meet the ever-changing needs of the community we serve, our organization has undergone an exciting positive transformation of its own.

The past few years have been a time of unprecedented growth for Family Service, progress that is evident in every facet of our organization. This growth has been spurred, in part, by the completion of our first-ever capital campaign. The ambitious $7.5 million campaign aimed to pay off the mortgage from the purchase of our new, state-of-the-art headquarters in downtown San Mateo. Thanks to the help of a caring community, we did it! As the proud owner of our headquarters, Family Service is able to redirect over $200,000 annually from mortgage payments to providing higher-quality services to even more deserving families in our community. That’s something we all can celebrate!

With the campaign behind us, Family Service’s headquarters stands as a vital community resource, offering a continuum of care to anyone in need—be they one month or 100 years old. From quality child care, to a nationally-recognized visitation program, to employment services for older workers, to family loans and so much more—Family Service is poised to help deserving people improve their lives with cutting-edge programs and services, all under one roof. And our strategic plan for the future not only focuses on improving existing services, but also on creating new and innovative ones.

One initiative borne of Family Service’s strategic plan is the expansion of our cornerstone Child Development and Education Program. Studies estimate that very low-income children may be read to as few as 25 times preceding kindergarten, while the typical child is read to over 1,000 times. Responding to this serious need in the community, our new Family Literacy Program will offer state-subsidized, half-day literacy education for 32 low-income four-year-olds as they prepare to enter kindergarten.

In order to approach literacy education in a comprehensive way, our Family Literacy Program has a strong parent volunteer component. By exposing children to the world of stories and teaching parents how to bond with their children through books, Family Service is taking another bold step toward strengthening families through education and healthy interaction.

When people in crises come to Family Service, they have the reassurance of knowing that they are receiving the very best quality, affordable care available in our region. We have our staff and a generous community to thank for that. As our strategic plan lays the foundation for our future growth, I am strengthened by the proven ability of Family Service’s staff to make even our most ambitious plans a reality—and by the proven belief of our community in our work to sustain it for generations to come. 

For more information please call us at 650-403-4300 or click here.