Overview
The A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center (PCC) is a licensed Temporary Shelter Care Facility managed by the County of San Diego. It provides care, support, and services to children 0 to 17 years old who cannot stay with their families due to child abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
Children stay at PCC temporarily until they can be placed with relatives, friends, or another environment. Children may also return home.
PCC offers a safe and nurturing environment created to help support children. While at PCC, they stay in a home-like setting.
PCC staff:
- Teach children life changing skills,
- Help children build healthy relationships,
- Empower them to make good decisions and to care for themselves,
- Provide a family-style environment while respecting children’s values and beliefs.
Education
Most children attend their same school and PCC helps coordinate transportation to their school and outside activities. This helps keep their education consistent, keeps them connected, and supports their overall well-being.
The San Diego Unified School District is also on-site at PCC and helps identify each child’s grade level, strengths, and any other needs. This helps find the right school for each child.
Health services
Each child gets a physical and mental health evaluation at PCC. PCC always has medical professionals onsite to provide care.
Mental health services
Children receive mental health services at PCC. They include:
- Thorough on-site assessments
- Individual and group therapy sessions
- Working with other agencies for care, and psychiatric services
- Help finding the best placement for their needs
Child developmental services
PCC has child developmental specialists to help children under six years old with developmental and social-emotional supports. This includes creating daily activities and interactions to improve their social and motor skills.
Trauma-informed care
Trauma-informed care means staff interacts, behaves, and provides services, in a way that reduces the effects of trauma to make sure each child feels safe and valued. This approach helps children become stronger, more resilient, and lead balanced, healthy, empowered lives.
Child and Family Well- Being’s Safety Enhanced Together framework inspires and guides our work to make sure every child grows up safe and nurtured.
The following core values guide our work:
- Relationships with children, youth and families are the foundation
- Collaborative partnerships with kinship and resource families
- Helping children and youth achieve their full potential and develop lifelong relationships
- Shared responsibility with community partners
- A strong working relationship with the legal system
- A workplace culture characterized by reflection, appreciation, and ongoing learning
Volunteer or donate
The organization Promises2Kids manages PCC’s volunteer and donation efforts.
Promises2Kids:
- Provides direct support such as youth mentors and a volunteer program
- Gives toys, clothes, and other things children need
- Runs Camp Connect, a partnership that offers fun events and activities for foster youth separated from their siblings
Donations
Donations to PCC provide activities, special programs, education, recreation, and cultural activities.
To volunteer or donate
Visit the Promises2Kids website or call 858-278-4000.
