Fresno County Family Services is led by Director Cathi Huerta and Deputy Director Howard Himes. It serves the diverse community of Fresno County by assisting families and children affected by poverty and abuse. The agency addresses at-risk children and helps restore families by providing resources. Its mission is to ensure child safety, permanence, family well-being through prevention, early intervention and being proactive, strategic and outcome-focused while being fiscally responsible. The agency assesses families, investigates cases to understand clients' environments, and provides case management to benefit children and families through its services.

1. Fresno County Family ServicesBy: Mayra Martinez

2. Organizational StructureDirector:Cathi HuertaDeputy Director;Howard HimesEmergency Response (153)Case Planning Sup. & Consultation (92)Integr. Case Mang. (146)Vacant Staff (20)Support Staff (3)

3. Community ContextThe agency plays a big role in the Community of Fresno because it has social workers from many different backgrounds and beliefs. This is helpful in working within Fresno because Fresno is a very diverse county. Also, Fresno is known to have very impoverished parts of town and the agency can assist families and children who are victims of this poverty and oppression.Populations at Risk the Agency AddressesThe agency serves children who are at risk or have been abused, neglected; etc.

4. The agency also helps restore families by providing and locating resources according to their needs.MissionTo promote a system of best practice in partnership with the community, committed to prevention and early intervention, that ensures child safety, permanence and stability, family well-being, that is proactive, strategic, outcomes based on fiscally responsible to the children and families servedVisionTo lead and integrated network of community partners that supports, protects and strengthens children and families.Agency’s PracticesThe agency assesses families to target areas which might need improvement and to protect children.

5. The agency investigates cases to better understand the families and their environment such as their culture or beliefs so that they provide services in the least biased way.

6. The agency provides case management to find ways in which children and families can benefit from the agency’s servicesSignificance of AgencySocial Justice: the agency ensures that both families and children are protected against discrimination and are given an opportunity to grow.

7. Social Work: the agency works with many social workers to achieve the profession’s standards.

8. Human Rights: the agency gives a voice to children so that their rights are not violated and also gives a voice to families who may be in need of assistance or are oppressed due to their culture or beliefs.