On August 23, Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) will hold a grand opening ceremony for its newly renovated headquarters at FCSN Osgood Center in Fremont. On August 24, FCSN will hold an open house and art exhibit at the Center.
FCSN is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 by ten Chinese American families, with the mission of helping children/adults with special needs and their families. In 2006, the organization completed its first Dream Project by establishing Dream Center (now Chenming and Margaret Hu Center) in Fremont. Over the next few years, FCSN initiated many programs for special needs adults, children, and their families, and has since built a strong community for people with special needs. In 2017, based on the Dream Project model, a second center was established in San Jose to serve families in South Bay.
In the summer of 2021, due to the high demand for office and program spaces, FCSN acquired another property on Osgood Road in Fremont. After a year of redesign and another nine months of construction, the renovation of Osgood Center was completed at the end of 2023. During the first half of this year, various FCSN departments moved into the new facility, and the site has since become the organization’s new headquarters. Today, FCSN has over 1,200 family members and 160 employees, providing services to more than 500 adults and children with special needs in South Bay and East Bay.
The new headquarters includes a 6,000-square foot one-story building and an adjacent 12,000-square foot two-story building, enabling FCSN to expand its range of services. According to co-president CK Lee: “We plan to establish a new day program for special needs adults, expand after-school services for school-aged children with special needs, and enhance our employment support services. Over the past two years, FCSN has initiated new services for high-needs individuals who have lower self-care capabilities, and some with behavioral issues. Facing these challenges, FCSN has stepped into the water and made significant progress. We believe that with the collective efforts and support of all staff, volunteers, and donors, we will be able to serve more individuals with high needs. This year, FCSN has also established a Coordinated Family Support Service (CFS) to provide better support and services for special needs adults living at home with parents. We hope that special adults and their families in need will reach out to us.” For more information about FCSN, please visit www.fcsn1996.org.
In addition to the Grand Opening ceremony on August 23, in the afternoon on August 24, FCSN will hold an open house and an art exhibit at the Osgood Center. FCSN co-chair, James Chiao, welcomes the public to visit, he added: “Many artworks created by special needs students will be displayed inside the one-story building. We look forward to seeing you on August 24.”
Open House and Art Exhibit
Saturday, Aug 24
2pm – 5pm
Friends of Children With Special Needs
42080 Osgood Rd., Fremont
www.fcsn1996.org
