 About
the Developmental Screening and Enhancement Program (DSEP)
The Developmental Screening and Enhancement Program (DSEP)
is a multi-agency collaborative effort between the
Child Abuse Prevention Foundation
(CAPF), Children’s Hospital and Health Center (CHHC), San
Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), Child and
Adolescent
Services Research Center (CASRC), and the First 5 Commission of
San Diego--Prop 10. The program addresses the developmental and
behavioral
needs of children, ages 0-5 years, who enter the San Diego County
foster care system.
Children entering foster care have a number of risk factors for
developmental and behavioral difficulties. Risk factors for these
problems include
genetic disorders, exposure to viruses and/or drugs during pregnancy,
poverty, abuse and neglect. Children entering foster care are at
greater risk for difficulties than children in the general population.
Currently, studies show that 10% of children in the general population
have developmental delay and 5% have a behavior need. In contrast,
up to 60% of children in foster care have developmental delay and
up to 30% have a behavior need.
The following services are provided, free of charge, to children
served by DSEP:
• Developmental
and behavioral assessments
• Referral to early intervention or treatment services
•
Education for foster parents and relatives (For more information
about child development and “helpful hints” for parents
and caregivers, you can visit this website at www.howkidsdevelop.com.)
• Case management to help children connect with services
The most important goals are identifying and providing early intervention
services that meet the developmental needs of children in foster
care so that their full potential is reached and supporting foster
parents and relatives. Once a delay is identified, the foster
parents are much better able to understand the child and the end result
is increased permanency in the foster home.
The annual cost of this program is approximately $450,000.
Since DSEP’s beginning in 1997, the program has seen much
success:
• Program Statistics:
•
July ‘02 to July ‘04, DSEP has provided:
• 2,430 developmental screening - 61% have a possible developmental delay
• 618 behavioral assessments - 33% have a behavior difficulty
• Education for 1,150 parents - 100% felt they had a better understanding
of the child’s
needs as a result of our service
•
October ‘03 to March ‘04, DSEP off-site has provided:
• Case management for 101 children who bypass PCC upon entry into foster
care -84% connected to one or more services
•
Community Support: A variety of community organizations
that provide services for foster care youth have joined together
to form the DSEP
Advisory Board including: San Diego Regional Center, California
Early Start, San Diego County Office of Education, San Diego
City Schools,
In Home Support Services Program (Catholic Charities, New Alternatives,
Children’s Hospital South Bay Family Support Program, Home
Start), San Diego County Foster Parent Association, Head Start/Early
Head Start, and UCSD Department of Pediatrics.
• National Recognition: DSEP has been nationally recognized
as a model program by Georgetown University and Children Now, an advocacy
group based in California. |
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