The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), the nation’s largest Latino-serving social service organization, has been helping children and families in need since 1963.
Our History
The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) is a non-profit, community-based organization that was established in 1963 in order to serve disadvantaged individuals and families in the Los Angeles area. MAOF is the largest Latino-oriented, family services organization in the United States, and has achieved this status by providing high quality social services and programs to those communities where the need is the greatest.

MAOF currently serves over 100,000 Californians, 95% of which are in the low to moderate income level. MAOF also serves approximately 8,000 California children each day. Our service area has expanded to cover 7 California counties including Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, San Diego, Kern, and Monterey. MAOF has over 40 service locations from as far north as Salinas in Monterey County to border at San Ysidro in San Diego County. Although MAOF now serves a wide demographic area, it continues to adhere to its original mission by offering 20 different free or low-cost programs and services to individuals and families who are socially and economically disadvantaged.

MAOF service programs include, but are not limited to: Child Care and Development (infant and toddler program, child care centers, state preschools, Head Start centers, and a network of child care providers), Resource and Referral, Alternative Payment programs (CalWORKS, Stages 1,2,3), senior and disabled services (Handyworker, Home Secure, and Senior Hispanic Information and Assistance Services), Welfare to Work employment services (job training and assistance), Youth programs (including foster youth), a Food Bank, Financial Literacy and computer literacy education.

Since its inception, MAOF has provided services to the largest and fastest growing segment of the population and has advocated for the advancement of the Mexican American community. While MAOF's services are open to all eligible individuals, changing demographics clearly place our organization in a unique position to work with government entities and Corporate America to respond to the specific service needs and challenges of the Latino community.