Preschool Services Community Partnership Project

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

The County San Bernardino Preschool Services Department (PSD) serves over 5500 children ages 0-5 and their families each program year. Approximately 95% of these children and families live at or below the Federal poverty income level. Comprehensive health services (i.e. physical health, nutrition, mental health, disabilities assessment and care, etc.) and long term individualized parent health education are not readily accessible to many of the families. PSD has developed a comprehensive health services and long term individualized parent health education program utilizing new sources of staffing that are of no cost to PSD and/or the County of San Bernardino General Fund. PSD has established agreements with several universities, community colleges, non-profit organizations, and other county partners that provide thousands of hours of comprehensive health services including parent education utilizing Bachelor and Graduate level students. The students and staff that support them specialize in the areas of health, nutrition, mental health, and disabilities assessment and care. The hours spent with children and families enrolled in PSD are primarily volunteer community work hours required by the students’ respective university or community college. The project provides significant cost savings to the county while increasing quality comprehensive health care for children and their families.