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Community Family Guidance Center began as a satellite of the Intercommunity Child Guidance Center (ICGC) in Whittier, an outpatient psychotherapy clinic that was founded in 1957. At the request of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Intercommunity Child Guidance Clinic opened an office in the southeast portion of L.A. County. The aim was to establish an agency that would provide highly professional, culturally, and linguistically appropriate outpatient mental health services for children. Due to the efforts of concerned community volunteers, our agency opened in Cerritos. At that time, the agency retained the name of its parent organization, Intercommunity Child Guidance Center. In May 1974, the agency moved its offices to the city of Hawaiian Gardens. The agency then was receiving an increasing number of referrals. To accommodate this need, additional staff and office space were required to provide the requested services. Due to the agency's expanding programs, geographical location, fiscal technicalities and political realities, separation from the parent organization was the next step in the evolution of the Center. The first meeting of the agency's new Board of Directors was held July 14, 1976. On August 19, 1976, the Board of Directors met to elect its officers, and during that meeting, they also established that the new name of the agency would be Community Family Guidance Center. The Center was incorporated on October 12, 1976. Financial separation and autonomy from Intercommunity Child Guidance Center of Whittier commenced on July 1, 1977. With the continuing need for more space and to be conveniently located within the geographical area served, the Center returned to the city of Cerritos in 1983. Since its inception in 1973, the Center has been fiscally stable. The annual budget has almost quadrupled with the primary resource of funding being the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. However, the Center is also funded in part by the Los Angeles Department of Children's Services, California State Office of Child Abuse Prevention, contributions from several of the cities served, individual donations, and community organizations. The United Way also has supported our services since July, 1982. |
