Infants and children grow and develop differently. It is important for parents to know their children are growing and reaching important milestones. First 5 San Diego’s Healthy Development Services (HDS) provides no cost developmental checkups for children from birth through 5 years of age, and connects children and families to needed services. First 5 San Diego works with some of the best community agencies in San Diego County to ensure parents and other caregivers have the help they need to promote their children’s developmental and behavioral health.

HDS is a countywide system of care that promotes children’s optimal development and learning by identifying and addressing problems early. HDS provides screening, assessment and treatment services for children ages 0 through 5 years old with mild to moderate developmental and behavioral concerns who would otherwise not qualify for early intervention.  Services are provided to families using a 3-tiered model based on the severity of the child’s delay and family’s needs. Care Coordination is provided to support families as they navigate the HDS system of care and address socioeconomic and environmental barriers that may impact their ability to engage in services.

To find out more about this program please visit the American Academy of Pediatrics (Chapter 3 – San Diego and Imperial Counties) website here.

Services Provided

Developmental Services
Screening, assessment, and treatment of mild to moderate developmental delays and referrals to additional services as appropriate.

Behavioral Services
Counseling or other behavioral therapy to meet mild to moderate social and emotional needs of young children and their families.

Speech and Language Services
Speech therapy for children with mild or moderate speech and language delays.

Care Coordination
Care coordination is provided to help families connect to an utilize First 5 San Diego’s Healthy Development Services.

Parent Support and Empowerment
Parent support groups, workshops, classes and peer-to-peer connections for parents of children with special needs.

CENTRAL

Family Health Centers of San Diego
Phone: (619) 515-2406 Fax: (619) 544-0308

Serving Zip Codes: 92101, 92102, 92103, 92104, 92105, 92112, 92113, 92114, 92115, 92116, 92132, 92134, 92136, 92137, 92138, 92139, 92147, 92149, 92162, 92163, 92164, 92165, 92166, 92167, 92170, 92171, 92174, 92175, 92176, 92182, 92190

NORTH COASTAL

Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego
Phone: (858) 966-8235 Fax: (858) 966-8405

Serving Zip Codes: 92007, 92008, 92009, 92010, 92011, 92013, 92014, 92018, 92023, 92024, 92049, 92051, 92052, 92054, 92054, 92055, 92056, 92057, 92058, 92067, 92068, 92075, 92081, 92083, 92084, 92085, 92091, 92672

NORTH CENTRAL

Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego
Phone: (858) 966-7510 Fax: (858) 966-6734

Serving Zip Codes: 92037, 92038, 92039, 92092, 92093, 92106, 92107, 92108, 92109, 92110, 92111, 92117, 92119, 92120, 92121, 92122, 92123, 92124, 92126, 92130, 92131, 92140, 92142, 92145, 92152, 92159, 92160, 92161, 92168, 92169, 92177, 92186, 92191, 92192. 9293, 92196

NORTH INLAND

Palomar Health
Phone: (877) 504-2299 Fax: (760) 739-2333

Serving Zip Codes: 92003, 92004, 92025, 92026, 92027, 92028, 92029, 92030, 92033, 92036, 92046, 92059, 92060, 92061, 92064, 92065, 92066, 92069, 92070, 92074, 92078, 92079, 92081, 92082, 92086, 92088, 92096, 92127, 92128, 92129, 92150, 92172, 92197, 92198, 92199, 92259, 92536

EAST

Family Health Centers of San Diego
Phone: (619) 515-2463 Fax: (619) 444-0884

Serving Zip Codes: 91901, 91903, 91905, 91906, 91916, 91917, 91931, 91934, 91935, 91941, 91942, 91943, 91944, 91945, 91946, 91948, 91962, 91963, 91976, 91977, 91978, 91979, 91980, 92019, 92020, 92021, 92022, 92040, 92071, 92072

SOUTH

South Bay Community Services
Phone: (619) 495-8248 Fax: (619) 420-8722

Serving Zip Codes: 91902, 91908, 91909, 91910, 91911, 91912, 91913, 91914, 91915, 91921, 91932, 91933, 91947, 91950, 91951, 92118, 92135, 92143, 92153, 92154, 92155, 92173, 92178, 92179

Maternal Mental Health

The Maternal Services Project is a program under the Healthy Development Services (HDS) that serves mothers experiencing mild to moderate depression who have children ages birth through five years old. The program components include using a trauma informed approach to screen for depression, individual treatment, mother-child dyadic treatment, care coordination, peer support group and social support events, psychiatry and medication management, psycho-education and linkage to clinical treatments and resources for mothers who fall outside of the mild to moderate range.

To find out more about this program please visit the American Academy of Pediatrics (Chapter 3 – San Diego and Imperial Counties) website here.

HDS at a National Level

Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Bright Idea final

First 5 San Diego’s Healthy Development Services Project (HDS) received the prestigious designation as a Bright Idea from the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. HDS received national recognition for the program’s innovative approaches to treating children with mild to moderate developmental and behavioral concerns. The Bright Idea initiative recognizes and promotes innovative and promising government programs and practices. Along with other Bright Idea projects, HDS is now highlighted on the Ash Center’s Government Innovators Network (GIN) homepage and part of the searchable database on the site.

Building a Developmental System of Care Puts All Children on Track for Success

Building a Developmental System of Care Puts All Children on Track for Success is a policy brief co-written by ZERO TO THREE and the American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3. The purpose of this brief is to share lessons gleaned over the past ten years from the implementation of Healthy Development Services. Recommendations included in the brief support the implementation of services within a coordinated system to prevent developmental and behavioral risks from becoming lifelong challenges.