Southwest Human Development operates over 40 programs in four primary areas: child health and welfare, disabilities, Head Start and training and education. Below is a sampling of these programs.

Child Health and Welfare

Healthy Families supports high-risk children and their families through the state’s only child abuse prevention program for children birth to five.

Good Fit Counseling Center, a part of the Arizona Institute for Early Childhood Development, helps infants, toddlers, and preschoolers overcome a variety of challenges such as sleeping and eating problems, anxieties, depression, aggression and the consequences of trauma.

Reach Out and Read, a part of the Arizona Institute for Early Childhood Development, this program provides new books for low-income children during pediatric visits along with education for parents about the importance of reading with their children.

Birth to Five Helpline (1-877-705-KIDS), a part of the Arizona Institute for Early Childhood Development, this is a toll-free question line for parents, caregivers and professionals working with young children.

For Now and Forever provides mental health prevention services to selected state-certified child care centers serving at-risk children.

Newborn Intensive Care sends registered nurses to assist families of premature newborns.

Project Soar, a collaboration with Homeward Bound, a transitional housing agency, and their YMCA child care center, provides staff training, screenings and referrals to address the social and emotional needs of homeless children.

Kinship Care and Adoptions assists families in Maricopa County seeking to provide care for relatives’ children from other states or counties who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Services include home studies, placement supervision, and support.

Family Builders assists families with some risk for child abuse or neglect with parenting education, home management skills and accessing community resources.

Family Preservation offers intensive in-home counseling and support to families involved with Child Protective Services because of abuse or neglect.

Family Reunification helps parents prepare for the return of a child who was removed from their home due to abuse or neglect. An intensive preliminary assessment is followed by counseling, support and frequent home visits.

Parent Aide Services include parenting education, home management skills, and support to families referred by Child Protective Services.

ValueOptions Family Support Services offers in-home support services to families who have a child with a behavioral health diagnosis. Services include parenting skills training, parent support, behavior coaching and social skills training.

Healthy Families/Healthy Lifestyles is a pilot project designed to increase physical activity, healthy eating and health literacy among high-risk Healthy Families program participants and their circles of influence.

Family Assistance Fund supplies financial assistance to families who have exhausted all other resources and need short-term help with everything from education costs to family emergencies.

Head Start

Preschool Head Start provides low-income children with a high-quality preschool education. Health screenings, social services, and parent training are other important components.

Infant Toddler Head Start helps parents with child development, parenting and life skills during the years before their baby is eligible for the preschool program.

Child Care Services provide high-quality morning or afternoon care for children in Head Start.

Kith & Kin Project offers a sharing and learning forum for those providing childcare for friends (Kith) or family (Kin).

Phoenix Early Reading First provides Head Start preschoolers in the Balsz, Creighton and Osborn school districts with high quality, early learning experiences that promote their language and early literacy skills and prepare them for kindergarten.

The Caregiving Program is an early childhood science program, operated in collaboration with the Phoenix Zoo, for children in low-income urban neighborhoods.

Disabilities Services help Head Start children with disabilities by providing evaluations and therapy services.

Mental Health Services provide screenings and assessments for Head Start children with social and emotional concerns, psychological evaluations for children with behavioral health concerns, and consultations to classroom teachers.

Children with Disabilities

Assistive Technology Training and Resource Center helps people of all ages with disabilities better manage their daily activities through specialized equipment such as computers and communication devices.  Also trains school district personnel throughout Arizona to help students with disabilities use assistive technology in the classroom.

Early Intervention helps infants and toddlers with disabilities reach their full potential through a variety of family and child services, including all types of therapies.

Parent-Toddler Playgroups provide a place where young children, with or without disabilities, and their parents can interact and enjoy each other in a learning environment.

Evaluation and Therapy services are available for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities.

St. Joseph’s Hospital Arizona Early Intervention Program Developmental Clinic provides multidisciplinary evaluations for children from birth to three for a range of assistance programs.

Training and Education

Libraries for Literacy, a part of the Arizona Institute for Early Childhood Development, creates libraries in child care centers serving low-income children and provides intensive training for staff in how to increase early literacy skills in young children.

Harris Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Training Institute, a part of the Arizona Institute for Early Childhood Development, offers intensive training programs and mentorships for mental health clinicians, as well as workshops for an array of professionals whose work impacts young children.

Child Care Training provides free training to state-certified child care centers that serve primarily at-risk children.

Chase Early Education Emergent Leader Program seeks to improve the quality of early care and education by training professionals in leadership and professional development skills.

Arizona Early Intervention Staff Training Project provides training for professionals and paraprofessionals who work with children with disabilities.

Parenting Skills Training helps parents and caregivers learn about child development and improve their parenting skills.

Seminars and Workshops provide many training opportunities for professionals in Arizona and throughout the U.S. who are working with young children and their families.

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