Our Mission

​The Children’s Services Auxiliary (CSA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983, is a volunteer run organization whose mission is to meet the needs of Ventura County’s court-dependent children. These children have been displaced from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The Auxiliary also serves youth who have recently transitioned from the foster care system. The CSA Board of Directors work closely with Ventura County Children and Family Services to identify the needs of the court-dependent children and transitioning youth.    ​
The Children's Services Auxiliary is a non-profit public organization - Tax Exempt # 77-0054936. All funds donated go directly to assisting court dependent kids.

Who We Are

 The Children’s Services Auxiliary (CSA) is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit founded in 1983 with a mission to meet the needs of Ventura County’s court-dependent children—children displaced from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. We also serve youth who have recently transitioned from the foster care system.

There are no paid positions with CSA; we leverage a majority of funding to directly support children.  Funding is dispersed in several categories: continuing education, medical and dental assistance, transportation costs to work and school for youth, emergency clothing and supplies, graduation incentives, extracurricular enrichment activities, and camps. Community volunteers and donors run our annual Holiday Toy Store, an important event for connection and provision. From 2008-2018, we distributed $1,117,105.94 to fund 6,422 needs for children and youth.

Working With Ventura County Strengthening VC Families

Our Board of Directors collaborates closely with Strengthening VC Families (formally, Homes with Heart) to identify the needs of court-dependent children and transitioning youth. Strengthening VC Families, is a program of Ventura County Children and Family Services (CFS). Strengthening VC Families is the foster parent and kinship caregiver information resource and support arm of the county, working with community partners to ensure that our fostering and kinship families have the support they need to offer quality care.​

How We Started

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The Children’s Services Auxiliary (CSA), is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 by Joan Gendreau. Joan was an amazing woman who cared very deeply for Ventura County’s Foster Youth. Joan passed away this last February at 85 years of age. 

One Christmas season in the early 1980’s, as Joan was teaching parenting skills, her students mentioned they were spread too thin to buy Christmas presents for their foster kids. With scant funds, Joan and a friend refurbished toys and threw a party with presents for all! Hence began the annual Christmas Toy Store, started in her garage that has been happening every year since and now serving other community organizations as well. 
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Joan then began CSA as a way to further meet the needs of Ventura County’s court-dependent children. In 2013, as a way to honor Joan and celebrate CSA’s 30 years of commitment to Ventura Foster Youth, a scholarship was started in Joan’s name, The Joan Gendreau Scholarship.
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Joan’s integrity and compassion for making a difference in a child’s life and her commitment to serving her community set her apart.

​Goals and Impact

 Since 1983, the Children’s Services Auxiliary has created opportunities for children to receive help for basic needs and to participate in enrichment activities they could not otherwise access. We are committed to​ supporting court-dependent children and transitioning youth with the resources they need to become healthy adults.

We provide stability through funding clothing and work uniforms (many children leave their homes of origin without personal belongings), medical and dental care, and transportation to work and school for youth ages sixteen through twenty-one. We fund empowerment and enrichment activities that are crucial for reducing the effects of trauma: specialized camps, music and art lessons, sports, and more. In addition to stimulating healthy brain development, these activities build trust with caring adults and provide positive socialization with peers. About half of our funding goes to employment and educational expenses for youth ages sixteen through twenty-one in the categories of high school senior expenses, college applications, classes, trade and technical schools, college and universities, documents, and employment clothing.

Our funding directly assists children and youth, and caregivers are also helped through cost reduction and—equally important but difficult to measure—feelings of support and connection to the community. Our goal is to have funding available for every court-dependent child and transitioning youth in Ventura County.