HISTORICAL BRIEFS AND HIGHLIGHTS
The
South Bay Children's Health Center was established in 1947
on the premises of the Redondo Union High School campus
as a dental clinic. It's formation was sponsored by the
South Bay Council PTA and school district officials to meet
a critical need for dental treatment for children from low
and medium income families. In late 1947 a diagnostic hearing
clinic was added, followed by a diagnostic vision clinic
in 1952 and a special services clinic in 1954. In 1953,
a collaboration with the Sandpipers, a philanthropic organization
began with the South Bay Children’s Health Center as volunteers
in our school based Dental Diagnostic Screening Program
which serves several local South Bay Community schools.
This program generally screens an average of 12,000 children
per school year. The South Bay Children’s Health Center
constructed it's main facility at 410 S. Camino Real in
Redondo Beach in 1956 following a successful capital fund
drive and donation of a building site by the City of Redondo
Beach.
In response
to a feasibility study and in affiliation with the Los Angeles
Child Guidance Clinic and USC School of Medicine, a child
guidance clinic was established in 1967 to provide psychotherapy
for children and their families with emotional or behavioral
problems. A medically supervised program staffed by three
disciplines composed of psychiatrists, licensed clinical
psychologists and licensed clinical social workers was implemented.
This team program concept continues as the treatment mode
today. A successful capital fund drive coupled with a HUD
community Development Act grant from the City of Torrance
was undertaken and completed in 1977, and a facility specifically
for child guidance treatment was acquired in October of
1977 at 1617 Cravens Avenue in Torrance.
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