Atkinson Family Services

How about some numbers?  They really aren't important to me or our story, but most people are interested.  So, one time only, here are the numbers.  We started in 1968, with 2 children of our own.  By 1977, when we moved from San Jose, CA, to Sacramento, CA, we brought with us 13 children; 2 natural, 3 adopted, 6 foster, 1 in guardianship, and 1 family friend.  We became a county group home in 1978, and a state group home in 1983.  We incorporated in 1984, and began adding group homes.  We now have 6 group homes, a foster family agency, a non-public school, (a school for children removed from public school for difficult behavior), a thrift store and a donated auto program.


We are soon moving into our new office, and will add a charter school which will serve children through a distance-learning program.  Each child will receive a computer, and will do the bulk of their work at home.  We will have tutors and support services at the office site. 


We are very excited about working towards opening an adoption agency in the very new future.  Almost every one of our long-time foster parents have adopted at least one child, and we would like to help people have the positive and successful outcomes we have had.


We will also be opening a behavior health clinic which will serve children and their families.  We are very excited about these expanded services.


Originally all of our groups were run by house parents with support staff.  We only have one of the original families left.  As laws changed, emphasis on the family model fell on disfavor  with licensing, and our family model changed to a social work-administrator-house manager-staff model.   We have been able to keep the family feel to our homes, and our staff have built good teams that work really hard to make good relationships with the children.


To complete the whole picture, we have 103 employees at this time.  We are very thankful for all the support we have received from employees, family and friends.


Finally, Jim and I have parented over 200 children over the years.  We now have 73 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with more of both on the way!  People often ask, "How do your children turn out?"  I always answer, "I don't know, they aren't all dead yet".


What we started out to do is give the children whatever family they want, and to give them the same opportunities as any other child by the time they turn 18.