Our Story
Sierra Child and Family Services was founded in 1988 to provide residential and educational services for emotionally disturbed children in Northern California. The program began on a five-acre ranch in Placerville, originally serving six boys in residential care and in the on-site nonpublic school.
In 1989, a second residential facility was added, and in 1990 a third. This brought the total number of residential students to 18, and opened the door to more classrooms and more students served during the day. By 1992, the nonpublic school was educating nearly 30 students. Also in the late 1980's, the agency founded a foster family agency known as Sierra Homefinding, which at its peak provided foster homes for nearly 20 children in El Dorado and Sacramento counties.
The 1990's were a difficult time for Sierra and many similar programs in California. Decreased government funding and a dramatic spike in the California insurance market slowed the agency;s growth and lead to the closure of the foster family program. However, despite these challenges, the quality of care remained, and this paved the way to exciting new ventures to start in the new millenia.
The first of the new additions was an outpatient clinic with wraparound services, opened in the summer of 2001. Through this clinic, children from El Dorado County began to receive community-based mental health services aimed at helping them avoid more institutional placements, like group homes, hospitalization, or incarceration. These programs have been proven nationwide to be very effective in producing long-term success with troubled youth and their families. In 2010, we were able to open a second outpatient clinic in Jackson, expanding these services for children and families in Amador County.
In 2011, we were given an incredible opportunity to re-enter the world of foster care, as the agency successfully merged with Foster Family and Adoption Services. With six locations in Northern California, the agency regained the ability to provide a full continuum of care and provide permanency for our state's most fragile children - restoring vital services lost with the closure of Sierra Homefinding in the early 90's.
With the 2011 realignment of certain programs in California, we have been able to substantially expand out mental health services for children attending public schools. With this new program, children and families receive school and community-based services which enhance mental health, promote school growth, and enable children to better access their education.
In 2016, Sierra began a transition the non-public school and group homes into a non-merging partnership with Summitview Child and Family Services, in which Summitview absorbed the non-public school and group home. Shifting focus to expanding outpatient services, Sierra has entered a new phase of serving the youth of Northern California.
So what's next? As we look into the future, there are many challenges ahead, and we look forward to continued innovation and growth to meet those challenges. Wherever children need help, and we can provide it - that's where you'll find us! Our staff are truly honored to be a part of this community of healing, and we are excited to see what the future may bring!
