San Diego County

First 5 San Diego’s Healthy Development Services (HDS) initiative was launched in 2006 to develop a comprehensive countywide developmental and behavioral system of care for children from birth through age 5 and their families.
 
Services offered by HDS include developmental, speech/language, and behavioral screenings, assessments, and treatment. Supporting services include vision and hearing screening, and parent education.  HDS treatment services target children with mild to moderate needs, who would not otherwise qualify for existing programs.  Children identified by HDS who may qualify for San Diego Regional Center or local school district services are offered referrals and care coordination to ensure they are connected to the services they need.    

HDS offers a range of culturally and linguistically appropriate educational and support services to meet the needs of San Diego County’s diverse population. All services are provided free to families.  HDS is supported by strong community partnerships.

Results

•    32,617 unduplicated children were served by HDS in FY2008/09
•    14,430 developmental screenings were provided in FY2008/09
•    8,890 speech screenings were provided in FY2008/09
•    8,300 vision/hearing screenings were provided in FY2008/09
•    2,670 behavior screenings were provided in FY2008/09
•    9,905 referrals were made to outside services in FY2008/09

Key Partners

•    First 5 Commission of San Diego County
•    American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3
•    Family Health Centers of San Diego
•    Palomar Pomerado Health
•    Rady Children's Hospital
•    South Bay Community Services
•    46 subcontracts