About Us

Casa Corazón began in 1991 as part of the Chicano/Latino Family Resource System collaborative, commonly referred to as FRS. Comprised of four agencies that provide linguistically and culturally appropriate services for Latino families, this collaborative remains intact today (soon to become the Chicano/Latino and Mission Family Resource System). Chicano/Latino FRS collaborative agencies include Instituto Familiar de la Raza, La Raza Community Resource Center, Mission Neighborhood Center, and CARECEN.

The Chicano/Latino FRS combines the efforts of the collaborating agencies to develop a continuum of prevention, early intervention, and intensive case management services for families. As a coordinated programming network, the Chicano/Latino FRS reinforces family preservation among high-risk families residing in the Mission District and among Chicano/Latino families throughout San Francisco. IFR has served as the lead agency for the collaborative, with each organization providing family-centered programming. Casa Corazón provides family programs within IFR and in partnership with FRS.

Our Purpose

Casa Corazón believes that the well-being and safety of children are both an individual and community responsibility. Casa Corazón works in partnership with parents to enhance their parenting skills and access to education, health, and social services for their families.

Casa Corazón conducts age-appropriate children's activities and teaches parents to engage children and youth in a meaningful and respectful manner within family and community values and traditions.

Casa Corazón promotes cultural pride, community building, and parent leadership, empowering parents to act as agents of change in the transformation of their own reality, their community, and the society where they have chosen to raise their children.

What We Offer

Casa Corazón is a citywide program open to all families in San Francisco. We offer diverse services and activities that aim to strengthen families’ self-sufficiency and self-determination. Utilizing a model that enhances family resilience, cultural diversity, and community empowerment, Casa Corazón helps ensure that Chicano/Latino families receive the training, services, and support they need to remain safe and healthy.

Our services fall into the key areas:

• Family Advocacy & Support: Families receive direct support accessing healthcare, schools, social services, and other systems.
• Parent Education: Parents have access to group classes and one-on-one consultations on topics such as child and adolescent development, health and nutrition, and school success, as well as leadership development opportunities.
• Family Activities: Families participate in family art workshops, field trips, community events, and holiday celebrations.
• Community Support Groups: Parents find support among other parents facing similar challenges through guided conversation, art and wellness activities, and community building.
• Clinical Support Groups: for parent caregivers who are learning how to navigate the journeys of fatherhood and motherhood. These groups provide a safe and supportive space for parents to share experiences, strengthen parenting skills, and receive emotional support as they balance the challenges of raising children. Through guided discussions and therapeutic practices, the groups foster resilience, build confidence, and help caregivers develop healthy strategies to nurture their children and themselves.
• Play Groups: Parents and young children read, dance, sing, and create art together in our various parent/child interactive groups. We also offer quality supervised children's activities for parents attending classes and support groups. 
• Community Partnerships & Collaborations: Casa Corazón participates with other community organizations and government agencies on collaborative projects to enhance and advocate for family services in San Francisco. 

Cara y Corazón: Parenting classes for parents of teens seeking to improve communication and family relationships. These classes emphasize the importance of, and appreciation for, urban youth culture as a bridge for successful communication between immigrant parents and their U.S.-born and raised teens.

El Camino de la Niñez I & II: These are two cycles of 8 sessions each, addressing important child development milestones for children 0 to 5 years old and children 6 to 11 years old, and aim to support parents dealing with challenging behaviors. Parents discuss the importance of culture, traditions, community building, and family communication in successful parenting.

ACT: Raising Our Children in a Safe Environment: This is a Safe Start program consisting of 9 sessions focused on the importance of raising children in a safe environment. The sessions cover how media, social, and community environments expose children to violence, and the impact this may have on children's behaviors.

Las Comadres: This group uses expressive arts therapy techniques for mothers in a safe, nonthreatening way to express feelings about immigration, trauma, parenting, relationship issues, building self-esteem, and developing their connections with other mothers in the community.

Hijas de la Luna: This group utilizes dance, movement, and music for relaxation, expression, and light physical activity. Based on the premise that mind, body, and spirit are interconnected, dance/movement therapy furthers emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration, and offers mothers new techniques for reducing stress.

Padres con Raices: This support group for fathers encourages expression, bonding, and conversation on diverse family issues. Drumming and other art techniques are utilized to create opportunities for self-reflection and exchange.

Traditional Healing Classes: for children and parents/caregivers, creating spaces to connect with cultural traditions, practices, and values that strengthen family identity and well-being. These classes incorporate art, storytelling, music, and ancestral practices to support emotional healing and cultural pride. By engaging both children and their caregivers, the program nurtures intergenerational learning, resilience, and a deeper sense of belonging to community and culture.

Los Peques: Los Peques is a parent/child interactive group for parents and children under 5 years old that allows families to spend quality time together. Los Peques promotes healthy attachment and relationship-building within the family unit by offering a fun setting for parents to create positive interactions with their children. Group activities include story time, singing, dancing, and art-making, fostering the child’s physical, emotional, and social development.

Escuelita Casa Corazón: Escuelita Casa Corazón is an educational setting designed for children while their parents participate in Casa Corazón workshops. Children participate in activities that promote early literacy and motor skill development, such as singing, arts and crafts, dancing, and free play.

Family Movie Night: Once a month, families gather to watch a movie or engage in other fun family activities. It offers families with young children an opportunity to watch a movie together, meet other families, and spend time together.

Super Heroes: Super Heroes is a parent/child interactive group for parents and children 6 and 7 years old that focuses on parent/child communication and the development of positive social and emotional skills. Super Heroes helps children and parents find their inner powers to create healthier families and communities.

Parent Advisory Committee – “Concilio de Compadres”: where parent and caregiver voices guide program design, shape priorities around social justice, and strengthen community leadership. Through this committee, families share their lived experiences and perspectives to inform services, advocate for equity, and co-create solutions that reflect their needs. Members also explore leadership opportunities by collaborating on initiatives such as designing and applying for grants that make educational family outings possible, ensuring programs are meaningful, accessible, and rooted in community vision.

Weekend Family Fun: Activities that are family-centered and age-appropriate, offering parents and children a welcoming space to socialize, learn, and play together. These sessions bring families together to strengthen community ties, build social connections, and create shared memories through interactive activities.

Summer Program: A program for parent caregivers and children, designed to create opportunities for families to learn, play, and grow together. Activities vary each year, but have included cooking classes, painting, arts and crafts, Family Yoga, and Family Drumming. These experiences foster creativity, strengthen family bonds, and promote wellness, while also celebrating cultural traditions and community connection. By engaging both parents and children, the program provides a fun, enriching environment that supports family resilience and togetherness. Registration begins in April and May for programming in June.

Individual Consultations and Child Development Assessments: One-on-one parenting consultations and child development assessments.

Information & Referral: I&R services are provided to families to help them connect with and access available community resources.

Case Management and Family Advocacy: We support families facing multiple challenges in accessing needed resources and building self-sufficiency. Advocacy efforts are made on behalf of families with schools, health providers, family and immigration courts, and other relevant systems.

Basic Needs Assistance: Support for parent caregivers seeking essential supplies to help raise their children. This service offers concrete resources such as food, diapers, clothing, and other necessities that ease financial stress and allow families to focus on their well-being. By addressing these immediate needs, Casa Corazón helps ensure that children grow up in safe, stable, and supportive environments.

• Community Diaper Bank Day for parents with newborns and toddlers, providing free diapers, wipes, and other basic need supplies. The Diaper Bank is open every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., and walk-ins are always welcome. This service helps ease the financial burden on families with young children while ensuring that babies and toddlers have the essentials they need to grow and thrive.

• Housing Consultations in partnership with MEDA to help families access and register for San Francisco’s DAHLIA Lottery housing system. Staff provide guidance on navigating the application process and support families in understanding affordable housing opportunities. Walk-ins are welcome every Monday from 9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m., ensuring that families have accessible support in securing stable housing.

• Prenatal Resources for pregnant mothers seeking support with basic needs and access to essential pregnancy and labor resources. Services include connections with doulas, guidance on labor and delivery essentials, and access to items such as maternity supplies, baby clothes, and nutrition support. This program helps expecting families prepare for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery while easing stress and building confidence for new parents.

Referral Process

Please submit this interest form (click here). The Program Coordinator will contact you as soon as possible to follow up.

Contact Us

For more information on Casa Corazón activities and services, please contact 

Lorena de la Rosa, Casa Corazón Program Coordinator

Email:[email protected]
Phone: (415) 229-0500 ext 567

Mitzy Martínez, Casa Corazón Program Director

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 229-0500 ext 575

In alliance with