Family Night with Santa

SVCFS North Modesto Family Resource Center held a three-week long event to support family literacy and positive family interaction. Families were treated to a book reading from Santa featuring Christmas stories, photos with Santa, a holiday movie, and each family was given a book to take home courtesy of Casa De Modesto and Barnes & Noble.

Po'g Mahon Toy Run

Po'g Mahon Motorcycle Club fulfilled Christmas wish lists for all of the children in Sierra Vista’s residential treatment homes. This is always one of the highlights of the year for the children living in Sierra Vista’s residential treatment homes.

Make A Special Year-End Gift

 Our children and families need YOU this Holiday Season.


In a perfect world, every child would be nurtured by a loving family and friends, attend a challenging and exciting school, have guidance, encouragement and a secure home. But the sad reality is that not every child has these opportunities, and the thousands of children we serve have had devastating experiences with abuse and neglect. Almost all are in emotional turmoil.


But your gift will help Sierra Vista continue to be a place of healing… a place of hope for the children and families we serve… a place that is committed to caring for them… a place that champions their cause … a place that is empowering and supports them in becoming stronger and healthier… a place that helps rebuild futures and bring families and love together.

Your year-end gift will help us reach out to the nearly 24,000 children and families we serve each year and provide quality services that will help to stop child abuse and neglect, promote healthy development and strengthen families.
So please act now to bring the gift of hope and a smile to the face of a child. Please make your tax-deductible donation, of which 100% goes directly to the children and families we serve, in the reply enveloped provided.


Thank You from Sierra Vista Child & Family Services!


To make a donation visit:  

www.sierravistacares.org/donations-and-events/make-a-donation

Annual Holiday Dinner

Bowen Cardoza, Steve Gikas, Santa, Laurie Gikas, Judy Kindle

Thank You to Steve Gikas, his family and friends for their generosity and hosting once again the Annual Holiday Dinner for the children and families of Sierra Vista Child & Family Services. Every child attending received a gift and was surprised by a visit from Santa Claus himself!

Renegade Classics Toy Run

Thank you to Black Oak Casino & Renegade Classic of Modesto for the 5th Annual Santa Claus Toy Run for Sierra Vista Child & Family Services. Thank you to all those who donated toys and put a smile on the faces of children we serve this Holiday Season.

Leadership Modesto

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services was honered to host the 2011 Class of Leadership Modesto at our Kirk Baucher School.

Thank You Sutter Gould Medical Foundation For Your Generous Support

Paul DeChant, M.D., Judy Kindle,
Kim Bull, Charles Sanders

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services would like to thank Sutter Gould Medical Foundation for their generous support of our First Step Perinatal Drug and Alcohol Program. The First Step Program supports women and their children as they are trying to move from a life of drugs and alcohol to a healthier and safer life of sobriety and positive parenting.

The number of women and children needing this support has grown this past year due to the economy and the cuts in County services. The funding however has not increased. The support of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation makes it possible for Sierra Vista to offer smaller class sizes for these women and more room for the children to play and learn social skills. Classes for the women consist of parenting education, self esteem building, how to avoid the temptation of drug and alcohol, and basic living skills.

We cannot thank you and Sutter Gould Medical Foundation enough for your support. You have helped to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and children.

Hearts for Children Gala

A benefit for Sierra Vista Child & Family Services. Sierra Vista has been helping abused, neglected and emotionally disturbed children and families in crisis since 1972.


Saturday, January 28, 2012; Modesto Centre Plaza, 1000 L Street, Modesto, CA
 Hearts for Children Gala begins at 6:00 p.m.

Please contact 209-523-4573 for more information on our Hearts Gala.

November is National Adoption Month

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services observes National Adoption Month in November

In California, approximately 58,012 children live in some type of foster care setting and in Stanislaus County, there are 628 children in foster care. Many have spent most of their lives in this "temporary" situation, and have moved within the child welfare system more times than they care to remember.


“These are very real children who desperately need families of their own. Because the public is so often unaware of these kids and their needs, we would like to draw special attention to waiting children during National Adoption Awareness Month in the hope that we can unite many of these young people with permanent, adoptive parents,” said Judy Kindle, Executive Director of Sierra Vista Child & Family Services.


These waiting children come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have physical or mental disabilities; some are part of a sibling group; some are of African American, Native American, or Latino heritage; and many are older children or adolescents. The share a common bond: the desire to be someone’s son or daughter and to be part of a forever family.
We fervently believe there is a family for each waiting child. Our task is to make our waiting children more visible and bring them together with parents. These children are calling out-to be loved, to feel wanted, to share their potential and themselves... to be adopted, said Mary Jo Mastin, Director of Foster Care Services.

For more information regarding Sierra Vista Child & Family Services and our foster care program please call (209) 491-0872.

ADHD Week October 16-22, 2011

Sierra Vista observes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Week October 16-22, 2011

Four to 7 million children (5-9% of the population) in the U.S. have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Abundant scientific research has led every mainstream medical, psychological, and educational organization in the United States to conclude long ago that ADHD is a real neurological disorder. The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and the U.S. Department of Education, among others, recognize ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis.

Sierra Vista Child & Family Services has an (ADHD) Program that provides mental health, case management, and medication services to children ages 2-18 years. The program provides treatment focusing on symptom reduction, improved overall functioning of the child in the home, school, and community environments, and improved functioning of the family system to assist the child in sustaining gains made in treatment.
 The program provides a multi-modal treatment approach including individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, school collaboration and support, medication services, parent education, and case management.

For more information regarding Sierra Vista Child & Family Services our ADHD Program please call (209) 550-5850.

Mental Illness Awareness Week October 2-8, 2011

Sierra Vista observes Mental Illness Awareness Week October 2-8, 2011


In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), Sierra Vista Child & Family Services is promoting the services that they provide for children and families experiencing emotional difficulties, as well as, bring attention to this national epidemic.

Mental illnesses are medical illnesses. One in four adults experiences a mental health problem in any given year. One in 17 lives with serious, chronic illness, and by 2020, mental and substance abuse use disorders will surpass all physical diseases worldwide as a major cause of disability.

Yet, this year servere budge cuts threaten mental health services in many communities around the country. "When mental health care isn't available in a community, the results often are lost jobs and careers, broken families, more homelessness and welfare", said Judy Kindle, Executive Director for Sierra Vista Child & Family Services.

The good news is that treatment does work and recovery is possible, and that is where Sierra Vista can be a resource to the community. Through our counseling programs for children and adults, our school based mental health services and our family resource centers we provide mental health services to thousands of individuals each year.

For more information on Sierra Vista Child & Family Services and the programs and services, that they offer call 209-523-4573 or visit our website www.sierravistacares.org.