Profile: Say San Diego

What is SAY SAN DIEGO?

What is SAY’s purpose?
SAY San Diego (Social Advocates for Youth) is a dynamic, locally based non-profit agency celebrating 35 years of dedicated support to the positive development of young people, their families and communities.

SAY Mission Statement

What services does SAY provide?
SAY’s primary services include: Delinquency Prevention and Juvenile Diversion . . . Before and After School Programs and Licensed Child Care for school age children… Family Support and Development Services . . . Health Promotion Services . . . Community Development and Collaboration . . . School Readiness and Support Services. . . Child Abuse Prevention program. . . Drug Prevention Services . . . and Mental Health Services.

Does SAY work only with children?
NO. SAY believes that in order to help children succeed, we must work not only with the child, but also with the child’s family and the various systems such as schools, police and probation departments, and other social service organizations that may be involved in the child’s life. Parent involvement in the form of support and education groups, mentoring programs, and school advocacy are also key components of SAY.

How long has SAY been in San Diego?
Serving the San Diego community continuously since 1971, with origins in Linda Vista, SAY now has offices, programs and Family Resource Centers throughout the City. Because SAY’s services are located at schools, probation facilities and other community sites, our services are always accessible to our clients.

How do children and families come to SAY?
Many families contact SAY directly while others are referred to us by schools, police, probation, community organizations, and other families who have benefited from SAY’s services. SAY served approximately 35,000 youth and families in 2005.

Are SAY’s services effective?
YES. The success of SAY’s programs is reflected in part by an ever-increasing rate of referrals from the community. Follow-up studies have shown that 93% of young people participating in SAY’s delinquency prevention programs do not have further contact with the juvenile justice system. SAY’s Extended Day Child Care program, with enrollment of over 4,000 children in schools throughout the City of San Diego, sets a new standard of excellence.,

Where does SAY’s money go?

Approximately 91% of SAY’s budget goes toward direct services to children and families, 2% to development with the remaining 7% going to administrative costs.