Runaway and Homeless Youth Program

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The Northern California Family Center is a non-profit, licensed Foster Family Agency that has been serving the needs of youth and families for over 40+ years. Our staff are dedicated professionals on-call 24 hours a day to provide experienced clinical care and assessment for a wide range of personal and family problems.

The Northern California Family Center works with youth, who have run away, have been kicked out, are truant, are out of parental control, or homeless. We provide four services: 

• Outreach/Safe Place
• Short-term shelter for youth
• Family Mediation
• Follow-up counseling

We also provide assistance with emancipation and referrals for youth employment. There is no charge for a youth to come into shelter. Our shelter is available for youth up to and including 17 years of age and accessible through our Martinez office.

Youth can also access our services through the Safe Place Program.  Anywhere this logo is displayed; a youth can walk in and request assistance. Look to the Contra Costa Fire District, YMCA, YWCA, County Connection and other local service providers for this logo.

The Northern California Family Center counselors work with the youth and their families for reunification, or to develop a mutually agreed upon (sometimes alternative) stable living arrangement.  Choices can include agreements to:

• Live at Home
• Live with Extended Family
• Live with Friends of the Family
• Enroll in Job Corps
• Apply for Work & Emancipation
• Combinations of these
• Transfer Guardianship

 The Mediation Agreement is usually written and signed. Those who come to short-term shelter are eligible for two free mediation sessions.  All others will be charged on a sliding scale. 

As the youth’s living situation is stabilized, there is often a need for the family to learn new and different ways to discuss their feelings and resolve conflicts.  We can forward the written Mediation Agreement to the current therapists.  We will continue to see those who seek counseling: on a sliding scale.  We will also refer families and youth to other providers, who may be geographically closer to the family.

COMMENTS:

“My parents and I got to the point that we were so angry we just couldn’t talk; so I ran away.  My counselor at school gave me Northern California Family Center’s number…” Runaway, age 14.

“I’ve never really been able to talk much with my dad.  The Northern California Family Center counselors helped me sit down and talk about my feelings without getting angry.”  Runaway, age 16.

We are located at

2244 Pacheco Blvd., Martinez.  Go north on Highway 680   2 ½ miles past Highway 4 and then take the Pacheco Blvd. Exit 54.  Go another

2 and 2/10 miles.  We are on the left (south) side of the street next to the Cinco De Mayo restaurant. Going south on 680 take Marina Vista Exit 56. Turn left on Marina Vista, Left on Shell Ave. then right on Pacheco Blvd.

WE COORDINATE WITH:

The Contra Costa Fire Protection District

The County Connection Bus Lines

The Contra Costa Crisis Center

Contra Costa County Mental Health Services

Contra CostaCounty Employment and Human      Services Department

Contra Costa County Employment and Human      Services Department Services

Contra Costa County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission

County of Contra Costa Office of Sheriff

The Contra Costa Probation Department

The Contra Costa Public Health Homeless Program

The Antioch Police Department

The Concord Police Department

The Martinez Police Department

The Pittsburg Police Department

The Richmond Police Department

The Pleasant Hill Police Department

The National Runaway Safe line

The National Safe Place Program

Shelter Inc.

The Solano County Health and Social Services Department

Bay Point Family Health Center

The Vallejo Fire District

The YMCA of Mt. Diablo

The YWCA

WE RECEIVE FUNDING FROM:

Dept. of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Runaway and Homeless Youth Program

The Thomas J Long Foundation

The John Burton Foundation

The Five Bridges Foundation

The Union Bank of California Foundation