Childhelp Community Center

As it celebrates over 20 years of service to the southwest community, the Childhelp Community Center remains true to its mission of promoting and encouraging the spiritual, emotional, and physical well being of children, young adults and families in need. The Community Center was founded in 1993 as a partnership between the Pendergast Elementary School District, Southwest Leadership Foundation, and Greater Phoenix Urban League to create a Head Start preschool program.  The Center quickly became a community resource and link to serve a wide-range of other needs including services and referrals in health care, crisis intervention, case management, after-school enrichment, kindergarten preparation, early childhood interventions, and additional family resources.

In the summer of 2007, Childhelp acquired the Center and has since continued to dedicate efforts to provide quality and efficient resources and services to children and families in the West Valley.

Community Education and Outreach Services

The Childhelp Community Center’s philosophy is based on the premise that prevention of abuse and neglect not only occurs by reducing risk factors for children but by increasing the protective factors for the whole family and our communities.  Childhelp Community Center is proud to offer the following programs in an effort to educate children, parents, and the community at large.

School Based Programs:

Childhelp provides before and after school enrichment programs at all schools in the Littleton Elementary School District.   The before and after school programs are structured to provide educational and developmentally appropriate activities in a safe and nurturing environment.  Fees are based on enrollment status with discounts given for siblings.  Programs are offered during summer break, and most “no school” days.  Choose from full days or half days.  Enroll for just one day or for the entire session.

These programs are DES-approved and scholarships may be available, if qualified. These programs are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

Strengthening Families Program:

Childhelp Community Center’s Strengthening Families Program is a 14-session, science-based parenting skills, children’s life skills, and family life skills training program specifically designed for high-risk families. A typical weekly session includes a ½ hour family meal. Parents and children then meet for 45 minutes in separate classes to learn parenting and child social skills.  The parent and children then come together for 45 minutes to practice together the skills they learned in their separate sessions through fun and creative interactive activities.

This program furthers Childhelp Community Center’s current efforts to support children and families in the community by increasing and enhancing parental involvement, and increasing education about the serious risks and public health problems caused by the abuse of alcohol and controlled substances.

Classes are held in the Southwest and East Valley and are offered in both English and Spanish.

Community Outreach Services:

Childhelp offers many community events throughout the year including a health fair, back to school event, and holiday events.

Childhelp also provides case management services to connect families to needed resources including clothing and diapers, food boxes, and housing referrals.  Financial assistance including rental, utility, and after school scholarships may be available.  Please contact us for more information.

Childhelp’s Community Center also seeks to increase family literacy by providing parents with English As A Second Language (ESL) classes and reading programs for children and their parents throughout the year.