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Children and Family Services

One name. Infinite potential.

Did you know? Lilliput and Wayfinder Family Services merged in 2020 and as of 2023, will be known as Wayfinder Family Services. As Wayfinder Family Services, we will continue to stand in the gap and change the future, embracing the spirit of our name: we forge ahead, we find a way, whatever it takes. We are Wayfinder.

We’re so proud of Lilliput’s history and even more excited about our future as Wayfinder Family Services. Our goal remains unchanged: do whatever it takes to give children the opportunity to be part of a safe, nurturing, lifelong family. Our commitment is unwavering: As Wayfinder Family Services, we now serve more than 21,000 children and families across California. Our team is stronger than ever: with offices across the state, we have deep partnerships, more resources and increased impact.

Download: Fact Sheet | Program Overview

Our goal is to ensure every child has an opportunity to be part of a safe, nurturing, lifelong family. We are committed to the highest quality in child welfare programs, building healthier families and finding loving homes for children. We have offices across the state, serving over two dozen counties. Our programs have a strong commitment to inclusive services for all families, including LGBTQIA+ families.

Client Rights and Responsibilities

WAYFINDER’S CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA:

Locations

We serve multiple counties throughout California. Click below to see our locations or read more about each of our programs to see which areas they serve.

See All Locations

Join Our Team

Visit our career portal to join our team in Northern California. We are also hiring statewide!

View Jobs

Want to get involved?

Lead the way and make an impact.

Community Council

Foster/Adoption (RFA)
Kinship Support Services (KSSP)
Family Finding, Engagement and Support Services (FFES)
Post Adoption Services (PAS)
Other Programs

With over 60,000 young people in California’s foster care system, we invite you to learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive resource parent today. Our families represent the cultural diversity of our communities, and we welcome all qualified and nurturing prospective parents to take the next step, including single parents and LBGTQ+ families.

INVEST IN THE FUTURE.
Children who grow up in a family are more likely to graduate high school, pursue further education, and engage in productive activities, eventually becoming leaders in our communities.

TAKE THE FIRST STEP.

Learn more about our becoming a Foster or Adoption parent(RFA).

WHAT IS KINSHIP SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM?
Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP) is a free program designed to provide resources and support to help improve outcomes for families formed through kinship care. KSSP is funded by some California counties and offered in collaboration with community-based service providers. Check our locations page to find out if KSSP is offered in the county where you reside.

WHAT IS THE NEED?
Over 600,000 grandparents in California are raising their grandchildren – the highest such statistic in the country. It’s not just grandparents tackling this responsibility, but other relatives and family friends as well.

HOW CAN KINSHIP SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM HELP?
KSSP is designed to provide support to kinship families – particularly those formed voluntarily, without the assistance of a child welfare agency. Rarely are families prepared for a situation like this. And that’s where KSSP can help.

KSSP provides support to relatives facing the challenge of raising kin, and also helps connect families in similar situations. In addition, we offer:

In-home Support
Counseling
Support Groups
Respite Resources
Advocacy
Information & Referrals
Legal Referrals
Guardianship Workshops & Adoption Assistance
Family Activities
Play Care
Mentoring
Assistance with Basic Emergency Needs

IMPACT ON THE CHILDREN

Relative foster placements are often more stable than placements with unrelated foster families.
Siblings are less likely to be separated.
Children maintain community, cultural, and family connections.
Relatives are often willing to adopt or become permanent guardians when reunification is not possible.

IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY

Families thrive
Juvenile homelessness and delinquency decreases
Teenage pregnancy is reduced
Alcohol and drug abuse is reduced
Rate of incarceration decreases

Learn more about our Kinship Support Services program.

WHAT IS FAMILY FINDING?
Family Finding connects youth in foster care to extended family or other people close to the child, such as godparents or family friends. Our goal is to develop supportive, meaningful relationships for youth so that each child has a network of caring adults who provide lifelong support.

Our Family Finding social workers conduct exhaustive searches of public records, online resources and more to find extended family who are willing to be part of a youth’s life. Some extended family may be interested in providing the youth with a permanent home. Family Finding social workers coordinate contacts for children with these relatives and friends to build trust and connections. At the close of family finding, each foster youth has a complete picture of their extended family and which of them are willing to offer support.

HERE’S WHY FAMILY FINDING IS SO IMPORTANT
Some youth in foster care think their extended family has forgotten them. But family may not know how to search for the child or even that the child is in foster care. Family finding can restore broken connections between youth and extended family and maintain important relationships.

Without meaningful connections and a permanent home, too many former foster youth lack a high school diploma, are unemployed or experience mental health issues. To establish realistic, safe options for permanency, family finding specialists collaborate with youth, family members, foster or potential adoptive parents, child welfare agencies and Native American tribes as appropriate. Wayfinder believes in preserving and supporting families in every way possible to promote the best outcomes for children.

IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY:

Fewer moves and greater stability for youth when living with extended family while in out-of-home care
Improved mental and physical health for youth
Better long-term outcomes as adults in education, employment and long-term health

FAMILY FINDING, ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT SERVICES LOCATIONS:

Sacramento County
El Dorado County
Placer County
San Joaquin County
Shasta County
Monterey County

Learn more about our Family Finding, Engagment and Support Services program.

WHAT ARE POST ADOPTION SERVICES?
Wayfinder offers a variety of support groups, classes and social events for families in many of the communities we serve. We are fortunate to have solid partnerships with our public agency partners, offering comprehensive Post Adoption Service programs in 20 counties throughout Northern California. Contact the post adoption worker serving your community to determine which services are available in your area. Services may include:

Warmline
Support and Discussion Groups
Family Consultation
Resource Libraries and Trainings
Information and Referrals
Social Events
Family Funding to support child activities, therapeutic and respite needs
Advocacy

Learn more about our Post Adoption Services.

For additional trainings and resources please visit: https://capostadoption.org/

POST ADOPTION SERVICE PROGRAM

In partnership with CDSS, Adoptions Services Branch- remote social workers

- Warm line 855-576-4477 (Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30pm)
- Tanya Fontenot, Associate VP – tfontenot@wayfinderfamily.org
- Jacklyn Schofield, Supervisor – 209.639.1990 – jschofield@wayfinderfamily.org
- Michelle Sprock, Program Assistant – 916.567.4477 – msprock@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Serving Mother Lode (Amador and Calaveras Counties)
    - Beki Medina, Social Worker – 916.267.0656 – bmedina@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Serving Yolo County
    - Shannon Hrobowski, Family Specialist – 916.639.0247 – shrobowski@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Serving Napa County
    - Shannon Hrobowski, Family Specialist – 916.639.0247 – shrobowski@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Serving Lake and Mendocino Counties
    - Jeff Killebrew, Social Worker – 707.479.4797 – jkillebrew@wayfinderfamily.org

Serving Del Norte and Trinity Counties

- Mickey Harris, Parent Liaison – 707.345.6988 – mlharris@wayfinderfamily.org

- - Serving Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, and Yuba Counties
    - Leslie Damschroder, Social Worker – 530.879.3861 – ldamschroder@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Family Success Coach – serving 16 CDSS Counties
    - Veronica Lopez – 916-594-5726 – vlopez@wayfinderfamily.org
  - PAS TeleHealth Clinician – serving 16 CDSS Counties
    - Diana Shadpour – 916-936-5418 – dshadpour@wayfinderfamily.org

Antioch office serving Contra Costa County – 925.384.1650

- - Cheri Thomas-Stevens, Director – CTStevens@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Kristina Brousard, Program Supervisor, kbroussard@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Jessica Hammond, Social Worker – 530-215-5366 – jhammond@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Bonnie Calderon, Program Assistant bcalderon@wayfinderfamily.org

Stockton office serving San Joaquin County – 209.645.5692

- - Cheri Thomas-Stevens, Director – CTStevens@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Shikha Kumar – Social Worker – Skumar@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Meghan Gish, Program Assistant – mgish@wayfinderfamily.org

Serving Tuolumne County – remote social worker

- - Jacklyn Schofield, Supervisor-209.639.1990 – jschofield@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Beki Medina, Social Worker – 916.267.0656 – bmedina@wayfinderfamily.org
  - Michelle Sprock, Program Assistant – 916.567.4477 – msprock@wayfinderfamily.org

Visitation and Coaching Services

These services help children in out-of-home care maintain relationships with their parents or other birth family. This reduces the sense of loss and abandonment children experience when placed in foster care. Our services include safe supervision of visits, teaching and coaching parents in positive parenting skills for visits, and promoting bonding between parents and their infants and toddlers.

Clinical Prevention Services

Home to Stay offers counseling and support services to kinship and birth families who are at high risk for out of home placement in Placer County. We provide short-term in home counseling and parent education to enhance parenting skills, building supports and mitigating behavioral health risks to youth and families. For more information, call (530) 722-2233 or email hometostay@wayfinderfamily.org.

Specialty Mental Health delivers mental health services to children and youth ages 0 to 21 and their families in Shasta County. To reduce out-of-home placements, families enhance parenting skills; increase protective factors, coping skills and resilience; and improve child and family functioning.

Promoting Safe & Stable Families in Butte County assists families that are at imminent risk of entry into foster care and families transitioning from family reunification to family maintenance and case closure. PSSF also helps parents whose children are being returned to them after they have received reunification services for a period of time. See Full Program Here.

Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is a work‐based learning program focusing on mental wellness and designed to empower our youth to learn, earn, and connect. Using a positive youth development framework, the program emphasizes opportunities that maximize engagement, mitigate mental health and wellness challenges, all while supporting the healing for vulnerable youth. Our youth are regarded as community assets, change agents, and influencer’s who have the power to improve mental wellness. The overarching goals are: the destigmatization of mental health challenges; assist youth in strengthening their resiliency; and to inform the needs of the community mental health system.

What services our youth will receive:

• Complete 20 hours of either Mental Wellness Champions training or the Community Resiliency Model and 15 hours of youth-centered service projects

• Learn the basics of mental health and well-being to increase their mental health awareness

• Develop leadership and empowerment skills
• Explore perceptions and impacts of stigma around mental health and wellness

• Identify support systems, trusted adults, and local resources

• Improve their communication and social-emotional skills

• Develop and discover their sense of self -“Who am I to my family, friends, community?”

• Learn about different stress responses and build on skills of resiliency

• Earn a stipend and/or participate in a group celebration activity at completion of program/graduation

Youth Empowerment Services (YES) are provided by Wayfinder Family Services in partnership with the County of Butte Department of Behavioral Services and through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).
For more information please contact us at: (530) 896-1920

*Referrals for services and eligibility criteria are determined by Butte County Behavioral Health

I don’t want to see my grandchildren on the news,” Monica wrote to the director of social services. She knew her young grandsons were in danger because their mother, Eva*, had a mental illness, which was later diagnosed as schizophrenia. Monica needed to get them help. Eva’s trouble began three years earlier, after she gave birth…

Program Areas

Trainings For Parents

Trainings For Professionals