Welcome to the Developmental Screening and Enhancement Program (DSEP)! This website is devoted to providing helpful information about the DSEP program, which serves young children who come in contact with the foster care system in San Diego, California, their parents and caregivers. To learn more, please click on any or all of the following questions:

• What is DSEP?
• What is Polinsky Children's Center?
• How is developmental delay identified at Polinsky Children's Center?
• How is developmental delay identified in a foster care home?
• How can my child receive services from DSEP?
• Who can I contact for more information about DSEP?

DSEP is a collaborative program whose goal is to support the development and behavior of all children who come in contact with the San Diego County foster care system. Specifically, DSEP staff members work with children between the ages of 3 months to 6 years, who enter Polinsky Children's Center or who are directly placed in a foster or relative home. DSEP provides the following services:

• Early identification of developmental and behavioral problems for:
• Children living at Polinsky Children's Center. DSEP provides this service for these children on-site at Polinsky. For more information, see: "What is Polinsky Children's Center?",
"How is developmental delay identified at Polinsky Children's Center?"
• Children directly placed in a foster or relative home. DSEP provides this service for these children at the home where the child is placed. For more information, see: "How is developmental delay identified in a foster care home?"
• Information and case management to help link children to early intervention services available in San Diego County that are recommended by the DSEP team.
• Education for parents, caregivers, social workers, physicians and volunteers working with children in San Diego County.

A recent study by Georgetown University found that DSEP is very unique. It is one of only four programs in the United States that addresses the developmental needs of children who come in contact with the foster care system.

DSEP is a collaborative effort that is supported by funds from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, Child Abuse Prevention Foundation, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, the First 5 Commission of San Diego (Proposition 10--tobacco tax), and the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC).

To learn more about Children in Foster Care, click here.



The process of a child entering foster care varies from state to state and county to county. San Diego County has a unique system that offers many advantages for children and families. Some children entering the foster care system in San Diego are first placed at Polinsky Children's Center as opposed to being placed in emergency shelter homes.

Polinsky is a temporary facility where children live until they are reunited with their parents or placed in a foster care home, either with a foster parent or with a relative. Children live in cottages with other children their age. The following services are offered at Polinsky:

• Fully staffed medical clinic
• Educational activities provided by Head Start for children 2 to 5 years
• On-site school for children 5 years and older

Recently more children are being placed directly in the homes of relatives or foster parents. As a result, DSEP also provides services to children placed directly in foster care homes with relatives or foster parents. See How is developmental delay identified in a foster care home? for more information about this part of the program.



When children first enter Polinsky Children's Center they receive a developmental screening. Children are screened using the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST II). This test lets the DSEP staff know if a child may have a developmental delay. If this happens, then the child will receive a:

• Full developmental evaluation by a Developmental Psychologist
• May include the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID III) or the Stanford Binet (SB-IV)

Based on these screenings and evaluations, DSEP may recommend early intervention services to enhance the child's development.

For more information about developmental delay, see What is a developmental delay? and How is a developmental delay identified?



A member of the DSEP team visits a child in the foster or relative home once she or he has been living in this new home for at least one week. The DSEP home visitor screens the child's development and behavior using a:

• Development Screen: Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST II)
• Behavior Screen: Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and/or Ages and Stages Questionnaire - Social Emotional (ASQ-SE)

The DSEP team member then recommends whether further evaluation is needed and/or if early intervention services are necessary. DSEP staff will also follow-up with the caregiver to ensure the child is linked to recommended services.



Children are automatically referred to DSEP when they enter the foster care system in San Diego County. Our services are often included in the standard set of assessments that children receive upon entry into the foster care system.

If you would like to know if the child in your life has received DSEP services, please contact the child's social worker.

If you would like to refer a child to DSEP, please call (858) 966-7874.



If you have general questions or comments about the DSEP program, please contact Jeanne Gordon, M.A.