Healthy Children
Healthy children = ready to learn, ready to succeed.
What happens to a child, both before and after birth, impacts that child’s chances for success later in life. While some factors that lead to poor health can’t be controlled, others can. A healthy pregnancy leading to a healthy birth sets the stage for a healthy childhood. Practicing healthy behaviors such as mothers receiving early prenatal care, well baby checkups, on time immunizations and periodic sensory, developmental and oral health screenings are all things that can be done to improve a child’s chances of entering school healthy and ready to learn. When potential health problems or developmental delays are identified early, the chances of successful intervention and treatment are greater.
We are all partners in assuring that babies and young children receive the preventative and routine health care that they need.
First Things First Health Programs and Resources for Healthcare Professionals
Child Care Health Consultation Child Care Health Consultants (CCHCs) are experts in child health available to support child care providers to assure that children in their care are safe, healthy and ready to succeed.
Physician Outreach and Education First Things First has partnered with the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to provide a program called Best Care for Kids. This program helps coach practices through a self-evaluation process and provides assistance in identifying techniques to “tune up” workflows and systems.
Oral Health First Things First and the Arizona Department of Health Services are working together to provide teledentistry services to rural communities in Arizona.
Mental Health Consultation Whatever the early care and education setting, it is the quality of the relationships between the adults and the children that either significantly enriches or detracts from a child’s experiences. Although relationships are important in most professions, relationships in early care and education directly shape young children’s growth and development – for better or worse.
Workforce Support and Readiness- Speech and Language Pathology Through a partnership with Arizona State University, First Things First is working to expand and improve early intervention and early childhood special education services for young children. Speech Language Pathology students in ASU’s speech and hearing program receive a tuition scholarship and enhanced education related to language and communication services for children birth through age five. In return, graduates commit to a 2 year service obligation in Arizona working with young children with speech and language delays.
Workforce Recruitment and Retention Program Available in various Regional Partnership Council areas, the First Things First Loan Repayment and Stipend Program provides financial supports to increase the availability of therapists in highly underserved communities. Program incentives are available to Speech/Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Mental Health Specialists, and Child Psychologists who are willing to live and work in underserved communities throughout Arizona.
Health Insurance Outreach and Enrollment First Things First is working with other state agencies, Regional Partnership Councils, community based agencies, philantropic organizations and other community advocates to promote policies and funding support for outreach and enrollment or re-enrollment assistance to families who are eligible for public health insurance, but not yet enrolled.
Resources
Arizona Immunization Program
Bureau of Health Systems Development
American Academy of Pediatrics
Arizona Early Intervention Program
Infant Tooth Decay - Information for Providers