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Remote Service

During Shelter in Place, FCSN offers the following REMOTE SERVICES:
  • Online Learning Classes for All Ages
  • Remote Adult Services
  • Virtual Family Support and Outreach Meetings
  • Dream Achievers Virtual Concerts

FCSN Voices

  • 2025 Lunar New Year Café Concert
    by fcsnvoices on April 20, 2025 at 5:08 pm

    Written by: Rachel Lee, FCSN Voices Editor Graphics by: Karen Gong, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter The warm hum of conversation filled the air as FCSN families and visiting community members gathered in the South Bay Center auditorium, exchanging handshakes and cheerful greetings of “Happy New Year!” As FCSN staff handed out red envelopes to children with special needs, Chiling’s Band filled the room with live music, accompanied by vocalists Amy and the mother-daughter duo, Ruth and Marisa...

  • FCSN “Expanding Our Dreams” Gala: A Look Behind the Curtain
    by fcsnvoices on April 13, 2025 at 3:29 pm

    2003 was the 7th year since FCSN’s founding, but that year was quite significant. Recognizing the need to gather funding and community attention for their organization’s cause, the FCSN parents penned the idea of a “FCSN Fundraising Gala.” Jason Hwan, co-founder of FCSN and current co-event chair of the Gala, shares his memories of that fateful year as well as all of the work that has gone into organizing the Gala, year after year.

  • My 2024 SNTS Victory
    by fcsnvoices on April 5, 2025 at 9:27 pm

    At the 2024 SNTS contest, I performed my original song, "I AIN’T BACKING DOWN." I wasn’t sure if I would win, but I set a goal to earn the People’s Choice Award because, to me, there’s something deeply validating about getting the audience’s support and belief in you. I felt this was my best chance to kick-start my career.

  • From Shy Boy to Award- WINNING MUSICIAN
    by fcsnvoices on March 30, 2025 at 5:50 pm

    Showers of golden confetti, bright lights, loud applause, glistening golden trophies and multiple envelopes filled with prize money—that's Keerat's memory of winning the FCSN Special Needs Talent Showcase (SNTS) competition in the spring of 2024...

FCSN Story

How it all began: A Seminal Meeting (1996)

In the early 1990s, many Chinese-American families in the Bay Area were struggling to raise their special needs children.
Shiow-Luan Chen, a special education teacher, sought them out and lent a helping hand. Visiting their homes, she taught parents about special education and encouraged playgroups so the children could learn socialization skills. Single-handedly, Shiow reached out to more than 20 Chinese-American families. After seeing all the struggles of these families, in late1995, she suggested that the families get organized in order to support each other. Initially, her idea was not met with enthusiasm by the overburdened parents. Linmei Chiao, a parent and a former special education teacher, recognized the potential and decided to take action. She worked with Shiow to organize a meeting of special needs families. Knowing they would need more support, Linmei also invited her regular friends who did not have special needs children. Gathering in Saratoga on April 4, 1996, the families agreed to form a group and initially called themselves, “South Bay Integrated Family Support Group.”
Read more

Early years (1996-1998)

Within weeks of that meeting, a planning committee was formed. Soon, the group held their first event, a picnic in the park,
to get the families to know each other. With no formal structure, the group was led by Shiow and Linmei, heading the planning committee in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Their mutual friend, Peter Hsia, active in the community, provided much-needed support. In the start-up phase, the committee focused on establishing the organization, recruiting members and supporting families. At end of 1996, the organization was renamed “Friends of Children with Special Needs”. The first newsletter launched in January 1997. Biweekly family gathering began in April 1997 in San Jose, drawing families from all over the Bay Area. In 1998, Anna Wang started “Milpitas Playgroup” to meet the need for more localized activities focusing on children. This became a model for many parent-directed programs that followed. In July 1998, a Board of Directors was established, with Linmei elected as Chairperson/President. The formal structure and increasing membership firmly established FCSN by the end of 1998.
Read more

Dream Project (2001 – 2006)

As In 1999, then-president Linmei proposed building a “Dream Community” to offer resources supporting special needs individuals,
providing opportunities and challenges to enable them to reach their potential. So far-fetched was this vision at the time, most in the Board of Directors thought it was an impossible dream. In 2001, Dr. Albert Wang learned of an opportunity to purchase a parcel of land in Fremont. Within weeks, a group of FCSN parents pooled resources and acquired it. They subdivided the parcel and donated a portion to FCSN a year later. At the same time, Albert, Linmei, and Peter formed a committee to work on the “Dream Project” and to determine best land use. Albert led the team to set a goal – build a community center to house programs to enrich the lives of special needs individuals – and saw it through to completion. In the first few years, the Dream Project was all about building the Center. However, in the long term, the Dream Project is about building the Dream Community. As the project progressed, many more people chipped in to help. In 2002, Limin Hu, an entrepreneur, organized FCSN's first fundraising gala. He followed with a popular folk song concert in 2003, with help from FCSN's Fathers’ Choir, which greatly increased the public awareness of our organization. In 2003, Dream Center construction began and was completed in 2006. During those 3 years, Stanley Woo, a developer, led a volunteer team overseeing the construction progress. With huge member participation and amazing community support, FCSN raised several million dollars to make the Dream Center a reality. FCSN held grand opening ceremonies in October 2006, which also marks the completion of phase one of the Dream Project.
Read more

Building Programs (2006 - 2013)

The Dream Center opening led FCSN to launch Adult Day Program and Supported Living Services in Fremont in 2006. Sylvia Yeh, Lilian Lin,
and other key staff came on board to advance the programs. Under the leaderships of Jim Chiao and Tsai-Wei Wu, FCSN's business and management grew and expanded, leading to more vendorized programs, including CIDP, ILS and Respite. . Children and local programs expanded quickly, starting with music camp in 2006 and followed by after-school and summer programs. Anna Wang and her team initiated programs parents had only dreamed of – job training and job creation programs. Sherry Meng and Anna launched soap-making, chocolate making, and sales. A musical entertainment band, Dream Achievers, formed in 2009, becoming ambassadors for FCSN. In 2013, FCSN reached a milestone: 200 adult consumers, 200 staff, and more than 40 local/children’s programs, serving more than 800 families.
Read more

FCSN Voices

  • 2025 Lunar New Year Café Concert
    by fcsnvoices on April 20, 2025 at 5:08 pm

    Written by: Rachel Lee, FCSN Voices Editor Graphics by: Karen Gong, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter The warm hum of conversation filled the air as FCSN families and visiting community members gathered in the South Bay Center auditorium, exchanging handshakes and cheerful greetings of “Happy New Year!” As FCSN staff handed out red envelopes to children with special needs, Chiling’s Band filled the room with live music, accompanied by vocalists Amy and the mother-daughter duo, Ruth and Marisa...

  • FCSN “Expanding Our Dreams” Gala: A Look Behind the Curtain
    by fcsnvoices on April 13, 2025 at 3:29 pm

    2003 was the 7th year since FCSN’s founding, but that year was quite significant. Recognizing the need to gather funding and community attention for their organization’s cause, the FCSN parents penned the idea of a “FCSN Fundraising Gala.” Jason Hwan, co-founder of FCSN and current co-event chair of the Gala, shares his memories of that fateful year as well as all of the work that has gone into organizing the Gala, year after year.

  • My 2024 SNTS Victory
    by fcsnvoices on April 5, 2025 at 9:27 pm

    At the 2024 SNTS contest, I performed my original song, "I AIN’T BACKING DOWN." I wasn’t sure if I would win, but I set a goal to earn the People’s Choice Award because, to me, there’s something deeply validating about getting the audience’s support and belief in you. I felt this was my best chance to kick-start my career.

  • From Shy Boy to Award- WINNING MUSICIAN
    by fcsnvoices on March 30, 2025 at 5:50 pm

    Showers of golden confetti, bright lights, loud applause, glistening golden trophies and multiple envelopes filled with prize money—that's Keerat's memory of winning the FCSN Special Needs Talent Showcase (SNTS) competition in the spring of 2024...

About FCSN

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FCSN’s mission is to help individuals with special needs and their families find love, hope, respect, and support through integrated community involvement.

FCSN provides information and assistance to children with special needs, adults with special needs, and their communities. We provide opportunities for individuals with special needs to give back to their community through volunteer work and jobs.

FCSN believes in the power of families helping families and promotes peer support through our many programs and events. We emphasize family involvement and the integration of special-needs children and adults with their regular peers.

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