Celebrate the 35th Annual Because Kids Awards with Family Resource Center!

Celebrate the Because Kids Awards and support children and families in the community!

On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Family Resource Center will host the 34th Annual Because Kids-Action on Behalf of Children Awards in special recognition of key individuals and organizations who care for children in San Joaquin County. Created in 1988 by Joan Richards, founder of Family Resource Center, and several community members, the awards recognize outstanding members of the community that do exceptional work for children.

Family Resource Center was founded through a Child Care Resource & Referral grant to match parents in San Joaquin County with quality, licensed child care. Over the past 43 years, Family Resource Center has grown to provide child care assistance, nutrition services, and professional trainings for Child Care Providers. The organization has added services including operation of the Help Me Grow Call Center, Joan Richards Learning Village Preschool, and the 211 San Joaquin information and referral services, but our partnership with the Child Care Providers remains at the heart of our mission.

Child care is one of the most important drivers in our county’s economic recovery as parents, women in particular, return to work. Thousands of San Joaquin County families rely on access to child care to be able to join the work force, particularly single parents or those with lower incomes. Without affordable care, moms can’t earn a living, businesses can’t recruit reliable workers, and children miss out on early education opportunities. Their success depends on having access to quality child care.

As we enter our 44th year of serving children and families in the community, we want to thank you for your ongoing support of our programs and services. I want to share the link to our website featuring several parent and Child Care Provider testimonials, and stories of the positive impact our programs are having in the lives of children in our community. Please take a moment to read these, and consider sharing it online to help us spread awareness of our services.

For more information about the Because Kids Awards, and to view the list of all past award recipients visit our website.

Thank you,
Kay G. Ruhstaller, Chief Executive Officer