Good health provides an important foundation for children. Studies show that low-income children don’t always receive all of their required immunization, which puts them at a higher risk for preventable infections and long-term illness. They have less access to a continuous source of medical and dental care. They also miss more school because of illness, putting them further behind their more advantaged peers in terms of educational achievement. Head Start, and specifically, the YCOE ECE Program has the unique opportunity to address these types of health and educational disparities for our families. 

 

The YCOE Head Start/Early Head Start Health Services provides comprehensive health service programs which include a broad range of medical, dental, mental health and nutritional services to children and their families. With strong support from community partners, the program is successful in obtaining comprehensive services for children and families.  In Health and Nutrition services, significant progress has been made through family engagement.  Training is provided to parents/legal guardians on family engagement.  As a result, parents take the lead in obtaining required exams and screenings within the required timelines.  

Parents are more confident and knowledgeable in advocating for their children when making their medical appointments and asking

providers to complete required screenings and assessm ents as part of their well-child exams. The YCOE Head Start/Early Head Start program staff assists and supports families in establishing a medical and dental home. Well-Child Exams are helpful in early identification and treatment of health problems. Additionally, the specific immunizations that children need are predetermined by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). Program staff partner with parents to ensure enrolled children are complete and/or up-to-date with their immunizations. The Head Start/Early Head Start program offers a full range of age-appropriate screenings and assessment for every child. If necessary, follow-ups are completed to ensure each child’s individual needs are met. Screeners provide information about the child’s milestone achievements.

 

The Health Service objectives include:

 

For Health Policies and Procedures see the YCOE Early Childhood Education Family Handbook.