Imelda Gonzalez: Fighting for the Families She Serves

Imelda Gonzalez speaks with the fierce clarity of someone who has lived the stories she now helps prevent.

A first-generation Latina and the Program Manager for Family Strengthening Services at the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) of San Joaquin County, Imelda’s life has been a full-circle journey, one that began in the gritty streets of San Francisco and now fuels her mission to break cycles of trauma in California’s Central Valley.
“I grew up in the Excelsior District (in San Francisco) it was tough. “Just beyond our walls, the world often felt unpredictable, but my parents built a bubble of safety and love around me,” Imelda said.

Born to immigrant parents from a struggling region in Mexico, Imelda didn’t speak any English until the third grade and was then often the go-to translator and advocate for her family. “At such a young age, we were essentially case managers. We were navigating systems our parents didn’t understand,” she said.

These early experiences planted the seed of her life’s work, a passion for social justice and community healing that would later define her career.

Her official title now, Program Manager for Family Strengthening at CAPC, barely scratches the surface of what she does.

“Every day is different,” Imelda said with a laugh. “I oversee three programs — Safety Net, Family Intervention, and our Intervention Expansion. Whether it’s supporting my team, diving into case management, or doing admin work, I love the hands-on part. I love training, sharing the tools I’ve gathered over the years.”

The programs she manages are crucial lifelines. The Safety Net program receives referrals from the county when a child welfare report doesn’t meet the threshold for formal investigation but still raises red flags. Imelda and her team assess the family’s needs, offer parenting tools, and connect them to services.

“Sometimes it’s something as simple as helping a family understand how having too many pets might be a health hazard,” she explained. “It’s about education, about helping families before a situation becomes a crisis.”

The Family Intervention and Expansion programs offer deeper support for families inside and beyond Stockton, creating customized plans to build protective factors like communication and stability. “It’s about walking with them, not for them,” she said.

Her commitment to prevention was born out of frustration.

“I worked with teens for a long time, kids who were already involved with gangs, already in juvenile justice. I thought, ‘What if we started earlier?’” she said. “That’s what drew me to CAPC. Their mission aligned with mine: to stop the trauma before it begins.”

Her road to CAPC was as winding as the work is urgent. She was working for Catholic Charities during the pandemic when her program was coming to an end. Instead of pausing, Imelda pivoted, a decision that led her to the Child Abuse Prevention Council.

“I could’ve stayed home and taken the COVID relief money,” she admitted. “But I thought, ‘No, this is my time to apply for the job I’ve always wanted.’”

And she got it.

That perseverance is also reflected in her academic journey. Imelda dropped out of high school for her mental health. She later continued with independent studies graduating at 19 years old. Then, as a young mother and while she raised her daughter she spent the next 17 years earning her associate degree. She finally received her bachelor’s in behavioral science from CSU Stanislaus in 2023,  just two days before her daughter graduated high school.

“We’ve been on this educational journey together. She’s at UC Santa Barbara now,” Imelda said. “I raised her young, and it was a lot of trial and error. But she’s amazing. I tell her that all the time.”

Now pursuing her master’s, Imelda is applying academic lessons to real-world problems in real time. “My classes help me understand what my clients are going through; mental health, systemic issues and I pass that on to my staff.”

But even with decades of work and school behind her, Imelda still defines success in simple, human terms.

“A successful day is one where I hit my step goal, answer all my emails, and make an impact; even just one conversation that makes a difference,” she said. “What gets to me is not being able to do enough. I wish I had more time. More money. More everything.”

Outside of work, her joy is found in family.

“I’m obsessed with my family,” she said. “We’re at someone’s house every weekend. And even though I live in Tracy and work in Stockton now, I go back to San Francisco as much as I can.”

Will she ever move back? She’s not sure. “Stockton has developed me into who I am now. It reminds me of San Francisco in the ’80s. It’s growing. I love being part of that growth.”

What keeps her grounded in a field so heavy with difficult stories to hear?

“I work out. I take walks. I binge trash TV. I hang out with my husband — we’ve been married three years, together for 10,” she said. “I find joy in the little things.”
Joy, after all, is what she’s fighting for, for herself, for the families she serves, and for generations still to come.

“I’ve lived it. I’ve survived it. Now I’m changing it,” Imelda said. “And that’s what I was born to do.”

The Child Abuse Prevention Council of San Joaquin County is located at 540 N. California St., Stockton, California. Call 209-464-4524 or visit nochildabuse.org to learn more.