M i s s i o n   a n d   H i s t o r y

 
Our mission is to strengthen communities by empowering youth, families and individuals to overcome challenges through counseling, education, and residential services.
 
YFES' twenty three programs serve more than 34,000 individuals in San Mateo County each year from nine locations throughout the county.
 
YFES was created in July 2003 by the merger of Youth and Family Assistance (YFA) and Family and Community Enrichment Services (FACES), two of San Mateo County's most reputable non-profit agencies.
 
In response to the downturn in the national economy and the resulting cuts in public and private funding, the Boards of both agencies decided in January 2003 to join forces to ensure the continuing provision of high-quality services to the San Mateo County community. The merger enabled the agency to reduce costs by an estimated $500,000 annually, which prevented the need for making drastic cuts to service programs.

Before the merger, both organizations had each served youth and families in San Mateo County for nearly 30 years. Family and Community Enrichment Services, Inc. (FACES) was founded in the early 1970s as an alternative to the juvenile justice system for youth coming into contact with law enforcement. FACES operated ten different programs, with the mission of strengthening families and building a healthier community.
 
Youth and Family Assistance (YFA) began operation in 1976 as part of the Sequoia YMCA's youth development efforts. YFA operated 9 different programs, with a mission to promote the physical and emotional well-being of youth and families by providing a comprehensive network of services that decreased high risk behaviors, increased self-reliance and strengthened healthy family environments.
 
Today, the rich history of service and the combination of programs from both agencies enables YFES to provide a comprehensive array of free or low-cost, multi-lingual social services.