OUR MISSION Founded in 1887, the San Diego Center for Children (the Center) is the oldest children's nonprofit in San Diego. The Center provides evidence-based therapeutic, educational, foster care, and transition age services to children and families struggling with mental, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges.
Our mission: Protect the joy of childhood. Prevent emotional suffering. Incite change.
OUR VISION & IMPACT We strive to: • Promote long-term individual success by supporting and educating youth with MEB challenges and their families • Support at-risk youth during their transition to adulthood • Impact early diagnosis and treatment rates of MEB disorders in San Diego County by increasing access to early assessment opportunities
OUR STORY Since 2015, the Center has been the only residential treatment provider for children age 12 and under in San Diego. More than 50% of these children have been severely traumatized and impacted by child abuse. With eight program sites anchored by a 12-acre main campus (which houses our residential programs and nonpublic school), the Center empowers over 1,000 at-risk and underserved individuals every day. Last year, the Center empowered the lives of over 9,700 youth and family members—many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and face significant barriers to success through no fault of their own—through its comprehensive and nationally accredited continuum of individualized and effective programming.
