Established in 1950

An organizing committee was formed, and Family Service Agency of San Mateo County was incorporated in 1950 to strengthen and maintain the families of San Mateo County. The organization opened for business on September 25th, 1950, in a three-room office at 1117 South B Street in San Mateo with a staff of a full-time Executive Director and a part-time counselor. The organizing committee became the first Board of Directors. Initial funding came from the local Community Chest and a private donation.

Ten women led by Auxiliary President Mrs. John Finney formed the first auxiliary in 1961. The auxiliary’s silent auction held in May 1961 was the first of hundreds of benefit events planned by the organization’s supporters throughout the county.

In September 1973 Family Service launched an innovative network of neighborhood family day care homes in Redwood City with funding as a demonstration project by the State Department of Education. Low-income mothers were trained in nursery school techniques and hired by the organization to be caregivers. Their homes were modified to meet licensing requirements. The network cared for children of low-income mothers who were either employed or in work training programs. Children stayed in their own neighborhoods and in environments that reflected their cultural heritage. Fees were calculated on a sliding scale based on ability to pay.

In 1979 the Day Care program expanded further. Family Service rented space from the Congregational Church in San Mateo and began the Community Infant Center, offering daytime care for 12 infants. Specific caregivers were assigned to each baby to ensure consistent relationships. Daily conversations between staff and parents and a parent support council emphasized communication and carryover of childcare philosophy between home and center.

Services to seniors were added to agency programs in May 1984, after Family Service was asked to take on management of San Mateo County’s Senior Community Employment Program. Funded by federal and state funds administered through the local Area Agency on Aging, this program provides training and subsidized job placements in government agencies and community organizations for needy seniors. Acculturation workshops for new immigrants, bilingual services, supervision, and follow up are included.

In 1991, after completing a competitive proposal process, a Grand Jury Subcommittee consisting of government and community representatives awarded a new contract to Family Service to establish and provide supervised visitation and exchange services for families referred by Superior Court and CPS.

Always an innovator in clinical programs, Family Service began providing Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to the community in 1991, an evidence-based treatment that provides live coaching to parents of children with behavior problems. Pioneered by child abuse treatment experts at the UC Davis CAARE Center, PCIT involves a trained therapist coaching a parent in using positive discipline techniques through a microphone, bug in ear device and one way mirror. Prior research has demonstrated outstanding results in increasing parents’ use of effective discipline and communication skills, decreasing challenging behavior among children and promoting healthy parent-child bonding.

Local businessman Michael Berube approached FSA’s board of directors and suggested they implement a program recognizing teenagers living under strenuous situations, such as abuse and poverty, life-threatening illness, rigorous medical treatment, or disabling impairments, and overcoming the obstacles. Some others have had to cope with a new country, unfamiliar language and confusing social customs. All are winners because they set goals and achieved them, worked for others as well as themselves and exemplify the human spirit’s ability to conquer adversity. None did it alone. Families, friends, aides, counselors and teachers helped the Winners fulfill their goals. The Winner’s Breakfast event was formed as a forum to honor these students in front of families and friends.

The City of Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department invited Family Service to take over operations of the struggling senior dining program at the Fair Oaks Community Centerin unincorporated area of the County. We set out to restructure the programs to better meet and support the needs of the area’s low-income seniors and their families. Through collaboration, we brought in a variety of multiple relevant services provided by our own agency and other partner agencies. We increased the attendance of the daily meals program, added the Garden Club, coordinated lunch bag distributions, established a bilingual Case Management and Advocacy Program, and provided health, exercise and dance classes. We established a computer training program to teach basic computer literacy to local seniors, utilizing volunteers and collaborating with Sequoia Adult School. We also brought on-site services to meet needs for medical insurance, legal aid, immigration assistance and peer counseling.

In 2000, Family Service’s reputation for providing quality child development services resulted in another invitation for collaboration. Shelter Network approached Family Service to operate the on-site child development center at the brand new Haven Family House transitional housing program in Menlo Park. Recognizing the trauma that children in transition programs often experience, the program emphasized smaller ratios, nurturing staff and a curriculum geared to helping children adjust to structure and stability.

In 2002, through the work of the Facilities Committee and Board, Family Service finally resolved years of facility issues from a challenging real estate market and lack of long term lease at the Burlingame site through the purchase and renovation of a building located in downtown San Mateo. In addition to the administrative offices, the Ways to Work Family Loan Program, Family Visitation Center and Counseling Programs, Child Development Offices and Senior Employment Program were relocated to the site. An Early Learning Child Development Center was added in 2005, beginning with 32 preschoolers and in Fall 2007 expanded with an additional 32 part-time slots through the PreKindergarten Family Literacy Program to provide quality preschool experiences for four year old children. The Center was made possible through a three year, $7.5 million Capital Campaign headed by four auxiliary co-chairs and led by the Board Chair.

The use of “agency” in the name has led people to confuse us with government and other non-profits. As a result, the decision was made to change the organization name to Peninsula Family Service, which became legal in June 2010 and officially launched at the 60th Anniversary Celebration event in September 2010. The change to Peninsula Family Service allows transparency in our work and program reach, and allows us to fully serve all those in our community.