Family Service of Rhode Island, Inc., is a non-profit organization that provides a wide array of social, medical and educational services to primarily low-income children, adults and families in every Rhode Island community, and in Massachusetts and Connecticut communities along the Rhode Island border.  We were founded in 1892, which makes us one of the oldest non-profits in Rhode Island.

Below is a list of frequently asked questions about the agency.  If your question is not answered, please email it by clicking here and we will answer it as quickly as possible.

Q. How many employees?  What's the size of your budget?

We have 420 employees and a $20 million annual budget.

The Providence Business News, in their annual Book of Lists, has placed Family Service of Rhode Island as one of the largest non-profits in the state, in terms of number of employees.  Funding for our work comes from many places--including state and federal contracts, foundation, corporate and government grants, RIte Care and other Medicaid-funded sources, donations, and private insurance.  Recently we held our first fundraising event, which we plan to repeat annually.

Q. So you're not a government agency?

No.  We're a private non-profit governed by a board of directors.  All members of the board are volunteers.  We also have volunteers who serve on the CEO advisory board.

Plus, we have other volunteers who help in other ways, from tending the lawn of one of our group homes for abused children to assisting us in fund raising.  We're very grateful for the support we receive.  

Q. Are you affiliated with any larger organizations, such as a national family service association?

No.   We are an independent, Rhode Island-based non-profit organization.

Q. How many people do you serve a year?

Usually in the range of 3,000 children and adults from across the Rhode Island area.

Q. Do you have a mission statement?

Yes: To respond creatively to the unmet needs of individuals, families and the community by building partnerships that help people help themselves. 

Q. Do you serve only Providence, Rhode Island?

No, although we're proud to serve many children, adults and families in Providence and have several sites there.  In 2004 we opened an office in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and more recently we've been heightening our presence on Aquidneck Island, through small offices at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the Florence Gray Center, both in Newport.  In addition, Lucy's Hearth, located in Middletown, Rhode Island, became an affiliate of Family Service of Rhode Island in 2007.

Click here for more information about our published locations.

For the most part our location has little effect on whom we serve, since many of our programs are provided in homes and schools.  However, we do provide office-based therapy, so our location is important for some of our work.

Q. Didn't you used to be a much smaller organization?

Up until about six or seven years ago we only had several dozen employees.  Back then, also, our focus was almost entirely on mental health.  But we realized that the families we were serving had many needs not being met.  So we began adding more programs. 

We also linked these services together so those we serve could have "one stop shopping" to meet many of their needs, which might include mental health problems, substance abuse, child development issues, educational delays, and more. 

At the same time, we focused on outreaching to other non-profits to avoid duplication.  One of the results of this outreach is CEDARR.

Q. Do you provide services in different languages?

Yes.  More than a dozen languages are spoken by staff, including Spanish, Creole, Khmer and Laotian. 

Q. How culturally diverse are your services?

We are committed to providing services sensitive to the cultural and language diversity of those whom we serve.  As part of this effort, we have adopted policies and procedures reflecting the federal Office of Minority Health's Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care standards.

About two out of every five people we serve is African American, Latino or a member of another minority community.

Q. You are accredited by the Council on Accreditation.  What does that mean?

It means we meet the standards of a national accrediting organization, which evaluates and accredits non-profits across the nation.  Accreditation is voluntary, but we feel it's a way the people we serve and our donors and funders can be assured that our work is of the highest quality.

Q. Are there other standards Family Service of Rhode Island meets?

Yes.  For example, we adhere to the regulations of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, often called HIPAA and have adopted policies and procedures reflecting the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.   We also have a code of ethics in accord with national, regional, state and local licensing and regulatory bodies.  We provide our clients with information about their rights and responsibilities, privacy and related subjects pertaining to the services they receive.

Q. Do you have a video about the agency?

Yes, and we're honored that Patrice Wood from NBC 10 narrates it. Please click here.