Hively: Building Pathways for Families to Thrive in Alameda County
For more than 50 years, Hively has been a cornerstone organization supporting children and families across Alameda County—quietly but powerfully helping thousands of families access the resources they need not just to get by, but to truly thrive.
4/15/20264 min read
For more than 50 years, Hively has been a cornerstone organization supporting children and families across Alameda County—quietly but powerfully helping thousands of families access the resources they need not just to get by, but to truly thrive. Rooted in a mission to connect families with critical services, Hively has evolved into a comprehensive, community-driven organization addressing everything from child care and basic needs to mental health and economic stability.
“Our mission is to build meaningful connections for families and communities, ensuring every child in Alameda County has access to the resources they need to thrive,” says CEO Mary Hekl.
A Mission That Meets Families Where They Are
“Our mission really started with the need for affordable childcare and for helping find childcare,” Hekl explains, noting that many organizations like Hively emerged in the 1970s as public funding began supporting working families. While Hively has since expanded its services, the core challenges remain. “What’s amazing is that a lot of the needs then are still the same today—affordable childcare, quality childcare, paying providers a reasonable wage—we’re still addressing [those issues] today.”
Building on its foundation, Hively’s child care services remain a central pillar of its work—supporting both families seeking care and the providers who make that care possible. For parents, Hively offers hands-on guidance in navigating the often overwhelming child care system. Families receive personalized referrals to licensed child care centers, family home providers, or trusted family, friends, and neighbors, along with help understanding which option best fits their schedules, budgets, and children’s needs. Just as importantly, Hively connects families to financial assistance, helping them apply for income-based subsidies and ensuring that cost is not a barrier to accessing quality care.
At the same time, Hively works closely with child care providers to strengthen the overall care ecosystem. The organization offers training, workshops, and technical assistance to help providers run sustainable small businesses—from navigating licensing requirements to managing finances and marketing their services. Through tools like its CareConnect system, Hively also streamlines reimbursement for subsidized care, ensuring providers are paid efficiently and can focus on delivering high-quality early learning experiences.
Together, these services reflect Hively’s dual approach: making child care more accessible and affordable for families, while also investing in the stability and success of the providers who care for the next generation.
Expanding into Mental Health: A Strategic Merger
A major turning point in Hively’s growth came in 2019, when the organization merged with Family Services of San Leandro, a long-standing nonprofit with deep expertise in mental health care. At the time, Hekl was serving on Hively’s board and helped guide the transition. The merger brought together complementary strengths—Hively’s established infrastructure in family support and Family Services’ clinical expertise and Medi-Cal contract—enabling the organization to significantly expand its reach.
Since then, Hively has built out a robust mental health program, growing from a single location in San Leandro to additional sites in Pleasanton and Oakland. The expansion has included hiring more clinicians, increasing access points for families, and creating a trainee program to support the next generation of therapists.
“We really took that base and expanded it,” Hekl explains, noting how the merger allowed Hively not only to provide services but to deepen its impact.
Today, Hively offers outpatient counseling for individuals, couples, and families, along with case management services that help clients navigate housing, healthcare, and other critical needs. The organization also serves as a training hub for future therapists, supporting graduate students as they complete their practicum hours under clinical supervision.
This integrated model—combining mental health care with family support services—reflects Hively’s broader philosophy: families do best when care is coordinated, accessible, and rooted in community.
A Holistic Approach to Family Stability
Beyond child care and mental health, Hively’s work extends into everyday essentials that help families build stability. Through its Family Resource Centers, families can access items such as clothing, books, and toys, and participate in workshops, classes, and community events that strengthen parenting skills and social connections.
Programs like Hive on Wheels—a mobile resource center—bring these services directly into neighborhoods, ensuring families can access support even if transportation or other barriers make it difficult to visit a physical location.
Hively also helps families navigate public benefits such as CalFresh and Covered California, offering guidance that can make complex systems more manageable. Whether a family is seeking child care, counseling, or basic necessities, Hively acts as a trusted entry point.
Real Impact, Real Lives
Behind every program is a family story—and Hively’s impact is often best understood through those individual journeys.
Hekl frequently tells the story of a single mother who came to Hively struggling to balance work, school, and raising her child. With Hively’s help, she secured child care and financial support, allowing her to pursue her education. She eventually graduated from a nursing program and is now working as a registered nurse.
But the impact didn’t stop there.
Hekl explains: “It really has many prongs of impact when you think about it. There’s the parent achieving career goals and financial independence, and giving back to the community through their work. There’s the child having a quality child care experience in a safe environment with nutritious meals and enriching activities. There are the providers themselves—often small, home-based businesses—who benefit economically. And then there’s the broader community. One day, that parent could be the nurse caring for you or me. So one touch point can have many, many impacts.”
Connecting Families to Opportunity
Hively’s accessibility is another defining strength. Families can connect with services in multiple ways—through phone, email, or online tools that allow them to search for child care providers based on their specific needs.
At every step, the organization’s goal is to simplify complex systems and make resources easier to navigate—especially for families already facing significant stress.
By weaving together child care, mental health, and basic-needs support—and by continuing to innovate through partnerships and expansion—Hively is helping build a more stable, equitable future for families across Alameda County.
For more information, visit: https://behively.org/