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The Family Care Network was born in 1987. At this time, California’s foster care system was facing a lot of challenges.

According to the first California Report Card of 1989, between 1983 and 1988, children in foster care increased by 120%–going from 10,000 across the state to 22,000.

With this influx of children needing safe out-of-home care, the system was in desperate need of redevelopment. At this same time, Jim Roberts, following an insatiable drive within himself to improve the way California took care of its children and youth, had embarked on a journey to the Central Coast with the goal of establishing a new family-based foster care agency; one of collaboration and innovation which would pioneer a new system of care that put children and their needs at the forefront of service delivery.

In partnership with San Luis Obispo County’s local government agencies, the foundation of FCNI was built on community collaboration, bringing foster families, biological families, children and youth, community members, local businesses, county partners, state agencies and foundations into the development of care.

Our first year, 1987/88, was full of planning, preparation and wondrous provision.

Read the Full Story
We hope that you will join us over the next 30 weeks as we share the journey of the Family Care Network, highlighting our partners and collaborators who made the last 30 years of care possible.
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FCNI at a Glance

  • Employees

    2

  • Number of Programs

    1

  • Children, Youth and Families Served

    24

  • Success Rate

    96%

State of the State

  • State Bill 242

    Established Preservation of the Family as a primary goal of the child welfare system, and making relative placement over non-relative foster care for children a priority.

  • Independent Living Program

    In 1985, the Independent Living Program was born, providing services so that foster youth can make a successful transition out of the child welfare system.

  • Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act

    Enacted in 1980, it acknowledged that greater efforts should be made to keep families together or reunify them and maintained the basic goal of protecting children but established a preference for family maintenance or reunification, and an expectation that services be provided to prevent placement.