Alternative Family Services

A nonprofit organization

$1,315 raised by 26 donors

100% complete

$500 Goal

For almost 50 years AFS has been serving the individualized needs of thousands of children, youth, and families. 

Currently, AFS annually cares for approximately 1,500 youth through foster care, mental health, adoption, transitional age youth, professional training, emergency shelter, and juvenile justice programs. 

What We Do in Sacramento:

In a collaboration with Sacramento County we provide care for children with the most complex needs, who have previously been difficult to place in resource family homes and residential settings. What we provide them with is a therapeutic resource family home along with intensive case management, therapeutic services, and wrap around services. We also provide them with family finding, to ensure that they are connected with their community, a committed adult/adults, and to eventually find permanency.

Your gift of any amount can help a child:

  • Discover a new passion
  • Build lasting friendships
  • Stay engaged in healthy, positive experiences
  • Strengthen their connection to the community


Here’s how you can help:

  • Make a donation on May 1st: Every dollar helps open new doors.
  • Share our campaign with your network to spread awareness.

Mission

The Mission of Alternative Family Services is to support vulnerable children and families in need of stability, safety, and well-being in communities.

Needs

Foster youth often have few advantages in life and don't benefit from much of what many children take for grante such as the opportunity to go to summer camp, participate in sports, receive after school tutoring, learn an instrument, learn art etc.

Further, many of these children don't even have athletic shoes to wear during recess, and when taken from their homes in the middle of the night they many times have to leave their personal items behind.

At AFS we believe in providing children with those items and experiences that enrich their lives, to provide and give them access to opportunities for bonding with their foster or adoptive family, and to help provide some aspect of normalcy and safety that most of us take for granted. This could include such things as tutoring lessons, athletic wear, summer camp, movie tickets for family bonding, holiday and birthday gifts, school supplies etc.

AFS has a $500,000 annual goal to provide children with these enrichment opportunities and to be able to continue offering critical services and resources.

Equity Statement

AFS must and does stand against institutional racism, white supremacy, bigotry, and hate in all its many manifestations. AFS has initiated practices on both the staff and board levels to examine and improve our capacity to be inclusive of diverse populations and guarantee them full equity and inclusion. Our mission is to support ALL vulnerable children, families, staff members, and communities.

Get Involved

View our current participation opportunities.

In-Person Volunteering


Volunteer with Alternative Family Services to Make A Difference!

Any

Ongoing opportunity

In-Person Event


Hearts in Bloom — An Evening of Dining, Games, and Giving Back

Claremont Resort & Spa

June 8, 2025

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Alternative Family Services

other names

AFS

Year Established

1977

Tax id (EIN)

94-2427088

Mission Category

Human Services

Operating Budget

$10,000,001-$100 million

Organization Need

Funding: Unrestricted, Funding: Program, Technology, Board Members, In-Kind Donations

Demographics Served

Low-income individuals/families

Local Counties Served

Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado, Placer

Address

8950 Cal Center Drive, Bldg. 2, Suite 340 #340
Sacramento, CA 95826

Service areas

Santa Rosa, CA, US

Alameda County, CA, US

San Francisco, CA, US

Vallejo, CA, US

Sacramento County, CA, US

Phone

510-759-1271

Social Media