CFSPI

Child and Family Service Philippines was founded in 1987 by Daniel Urquico, Patti Lyons and Consuelo Alger. It was their dream to provide care and assistance to abused and disadvantaged children, women and families in the Philippines.  This vision became a reality when Child and Family Service Philippines (CFSPI) was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in October of 1987 as a non-stock, non-profit corporation. It received its formal charter from SEC on April 1988 and acquired a formal opinion as a tax-exempt organization that same year.

It began its programs and services by offering drop-in and residential services to the street children of Baguio and Benguet, beginning first quarter of 1988. It eventually shifted to abused children and women, when DSWD opened its own services in Trinidad. It also focuses on children and youth in conflict with the law, and early childhood development and care.  For over 25 years, more than a thousand disadvantaged children and countless families have availed of the programs and services of CFSPI. They received professional care and assistance in overcoming the trauma of child abuse, manage problems brought about by juvenile delinquency, learn how to effectively care for their new born babies, deal with dysfunctional family relationships and effectively reintegrate back into family and/or community.

CFSPI is a social service and development agency dedicated towards (1) the promotion of rights of children in especially difficult situations, and (2) the empowerment of disadvantaged women and families. Its main office is located at 11 Manzanillo Subdivision, Easter Rd., Baguio City. It operates two other sub-offices, one at the Consuelo Home in Suello, Marcos Highway, and the other at the Life Skills Center in Beckel.

Its purpose is to work towards the prevention and reduction of child abuse, neglect and exploitation. It utilizes an effective CARING, HEALING, AND TEACHING FRAMEWORK, developed with the help of Dr. Danilo Ponce, a Filipino psychiatrist based in Honolulu. It allows the organization, its board and its staff to focus on important achievable and measurable goals. Its programs and services cover the City of Baguio, the Province of Benguet, six municipalities in the Ilocos Region, and the Municipality of Naguilian, La Union. In addition, it shares its social technologies, learning and knowledge through the Center for Leadership to many other provinces in CAR and Central Luzon.

• Prevention and amelioration of neglect, abuse and exploitation of children and women;

• Provision of a sanctuary for children and women in need of special protection,

• Assistance to families and communities in efforts to prevent and reduce the incidence of juvenile delinquency;

• Provision of Skills for Life Plus (copywrite protected), vocational and technical training, and financial support for livelihood opportunities

• Partnership with individuals and agencies in order for disadvantaged women and families to obtain access to needed social and medical services.

The organization has received donations and grants from various sources, including the President’s Social Fund; Consuelo Foundation; Children and Youth Foundation of the Philippines; Child and Family Services for Hawaii’s Children; NISSAN; Rotary Honolulu; Rotary Foundation; Highland Park United Methodist Church; CARITAS; VLAAMS International Centrum (VIC), UNICEF; Karin Schmidt Foundation (Germany); Jaime V Ongpin Foundation; among others. CFSPI also earns income from lease rentals and revenues generated from its budding social enterprise, the Consuelo Center for Leadership and Social Innovation. It receives a small royalty from a strawberry jam company, Baguio’s Best, which uses a small part of its facilities to produce and market strawberry jam.

The organization was certified by the Philippine Council for NGO Accreditation (PCNC) for three (3) years on April 22, 2002, five (5) years on October 18, 2005, and three years last April 2011.  It has recently applied for renewal of its certification.  It is also licensed and accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as well as the different provinces, cities and municipalities where it operates.  It is also a member of various partnerships and national and local networks, including the Philippine Council for NGO Accreditation; Association of Foundations, the Consuelo Foundation, CORDNET, among many others.

The foundation has an 11 - member Board of Trustees, and a regular staff of 27; All staff members are enrolled in a retirement plan and have access to social security as well as medical and dental insurance. (CFSPI believes that any staff member who performs a job that is critical to the mission of the Foundation should not be hired under short term contractual arrangements such as is the practice in the corporate and NGO community since it is detrimental to the rights, benefits and privileges of employees, unless the engagement is short term, such as carpentry, masonry or plumbing work). CFSPI has also become a platform for numerous local and international volunteers and interns from various schools and universities wishing to hone their skills and to serve their community.

CFSPI has become a partner of the community and the nation in preventing abuse, mitigating the effects of juvenile crime and alleviating human distress. Below is an overview of the vision and mission of CFSPI, its values, its major goals major historical milestones and accomplishments as it continues to provide quality and timely interventions for its partners, client groups and stakeholders.