Together, we are shaping the future of children’s mental health.

The past decades have seen devastating increases in children and families experiencing mental health, learning, and developmental challenges. Our team of specialists provides comprehensive, best-in-class services for a broad range of issues—from toilet training and discipline to anxiety, autism and ADHD. From everyday issues to challenges requiring specialized assessment and evaluation, we help parents, caregivers, and educators support children of all ages.

The Center for Children and Youth is reshaping mental health and social support systems in California by bringing the strategic vision and bold leadership necessary to provide the most advanced forms of care at scale across the state and ultimately the nation. Through partnerships with schools, medical providers, businesses, and community organizations, we support families where they live, learn, work, and play. In doing so, we aim to improve the lives of all children and families and to affect cultural change that positively impacts the destiny of the next generation.

Our History

As part of  Jewish Family and Children’s Services  (JFCS), a trusted nonprofit institution that has been caring for children and families since 1850, the Center for Children and Youth is able to connect our clients with comprehensive help for any issue they are facing. We serve people of all faiths and backgrounds, and our work is guided by the Jewish values of advancing human dignity for everyone, community responsibility, peace in the home, and repairing the world.

For almost 40 years, JFCS’ Parents Place has been the leading resource for families in the Bay Area. Parents Place opened family resource centers in San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Marin County to offer parent workshops, child therapy, and group play throughout the region. In 2007, the Child Training Institute was established to provide clinical professionals with ongoing education and certified training. Now, the Center for Children and Youth is expanding Parents Place’s impact with national resources for parents, international expertise, training for professionals, and public policy advocacy.