Child & Family Development Center
Child & Family Development Center
For over 50 years, the Child and Family Development Center (CFDC) at Providence Saint John’s has provided empathetic care to underprivileged families, adolescents and children throughout the Los Angeles area.
Working toward community wellness, the guiding philosophy of Providence Saint John’s Child and Family Development Center is to identify mental health, emotional and developmental issues as early as possible and intervene.
Through safe, nurturing and confidential programs that recognize each individual’s culture and identity, the CFDC has served families and children who struggle with:
- Developmental disabilities
- Emotional challenges
- Encounters with domestic violence
- Substance or physical abuse
Working together with families we aim to build protective factors and resiliency, foster empowerment and self-sufficiency, growth, positive coping and behaviors that enable children to succeed in their family, community, school/vocation and life choices.
The CFDC functions as a "clinic without walls," thus services are provided at the center, in homes, schools, preschools, transitional housing sites, community centers and free clinics. CFDC collaborates with over 15 different community partners and utilizes over 10 evidence-based practice psychotherapy models.
Training in psychology and graduate social work is provided on-site.
- APA-Accredited Doctoral Internship in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
- Social Work Graduate Internship Program
- Clinical Psychology Practicum Program
Ongoing research conducted in collaboration with local universities and program evaluations are essential components of all CFDC services.
1,000 different families are served per year by CFDC’s multidisciplinary team of clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational and speech therapists, and interns. CFDC is also an accredited training site for APA Doctoral Psychology Interns and graduate clinical social workers.
- Ruth Cañas, LCSW, Executive Director
- Lisa Margolis, LCSW, Program Manager, Prenatal to Age 5
- Gail Gutierrez, LCSW, Program Manager, Ages 6-18
- Olga Belik, Ph.D., Program Manager, Doctoral Psychology Internship Training Director, Chief Psychologist
- Sharon Greene, LCSW, Program Manager, Social Work Internship
- Laura Benavente, M. Ed., Program Manager, Early Childhood Directions
Consider donating to the Child and Family Development Center.
Give by mail
Make checks payable to Saint John's Child and Family Development Center
If you'd like your gift to go to a specific program, please write it in the check notation line.
Send to:
Saint John's Child and Family Development Center
1339 20th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Give online
- Go to Saint John's Health Center Foundation
- Choose an amount to give
- From the middle of the page, click on drop-down menu for designation and choose an CFDC program
Programs for Prenatal/Birth to Age 5
For preschool children who require early intervention
Home-based visits to promote resiliency and nurture parent-child bonds
“Whole-child” approach to preschool that instills momentum for success in at-risk children
Family therapy to foster healthy attachment and address behavior concerns
Programs for Ages 6-18 and Individuals with Special Needs
On-site school and community-based mental health program
School and community-based services for children, teens and young adults
Providing psychosocial evaluations of foster children
Internships and Training
Training in psychology and graduate social work is provided on-site.
- APA-Accredited Doctoral Internship in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
- Social Work Graduate Internship Program
- Clinical Psychology Practicum Program
Ongoing research conducted in collaboration with local universities and program evaluations are essential components of all CFDC services.
Early Childhood Directions Infant, Toddler and Preschool Program
The Early Childhood Directions Program is a multi-age care center that provides a continuum of developmental childcare from infancy through pre-kindergarten.
