Established in 1989, KidsFirst treats and prevents child abuse and neglect through education, advocacy and counseling to empower and strengthen children and families. Programs target the most vulnerable children, families and neighborhoods with a vision that all children live in safe, healthy and nurturing homes.

With family resource centers strategically located in Auburn and Roseville, KidsFirst’s team of therapists and case managers serve children and families throughout Placer County. KidsFirst values collaboration, working closely with other community agencies and
partners to maximize impact. In 2022, it served 3,500 children and
2,600 families.

“The county’s population has increased dramatically, as have the complexities of fulfilling our mission, since we were founded 35 years ago,” says CEO Debbie Gabelich. “Our team works daily to provide the most vulnerable children and their families the resources, education and intervention needed to break the cycle of abuse.”

KidsFirst offers a range of cost-free, trauma-informed services, with programs focused on prevention, intervention and treatment. Prevention includes mitigating stressors on families that may lead to abuse and neglect, such as money worries or housing concerns. Services are provided in English and Spanish.

“Our team works daily to provide the most vulnerable children and their families the resources, education and intervention needed to break the cycle of abuse.”
— Debbie Gabelich, CEO

While some funding comes from grants and through contracts, the organization seeks to grow individual and corporate support to help meet the expanding requests for therapy and counseling. Currently, the waiting list for those services is 100 families deep. Contributions help the agency direct more staffing resources to counseling and therapeutic services to supply that need.

“Mental health service needs continue to rise and we are all seeing the ramifications of the lack of funding to provide these services all across our nation,” Gabelich says. “We know that investing in prevention today helps to build stronger, more stable communities for the future. Supporting KidsFirst will make a positive impact today and for generations to come.”

KidsFirst Roseville
516 Gibson Dr., Ste. 100
Roseville, CA 95678
Tel: 916.774.6802
Fax: 916.774.2685

KidsFirst Auburn
200 Auburn Folsom Rd., Ste.101
Auburn, CA 95603
Tel: 530.887.3536
Fax: 530.887.3856