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Mission
To assure that all children reach school age healthy and ready for their formal education by helping families gain access to appropriate health and community services, receive education about the importance of the early years in the life of a child, and find support for their efforts to provide a nurturing environment for their children.
What does Children 1st do?
Children 1st identifies and screens, makes appropriate referrals for services, and monitors children ages birth to four determined to be at risk. Children are identified and screened for risks that could lead to poor health or developmental outcomes. Families needing assistance are offered in-home family assessment to identify strengths and needs and to provide information about health, child development, and parenting resources. Families are linked with primary health care providers, as appropriate.
Children 1st periodically monitors whether the child is receiving regular check ups. Children 1st helps communities identify resources most commonly needed by families, including those services that are difficult to locate. This information assists with planning and priority-setting in public health and community collaborative's.
Why is Children 1st important?
The earliest years in a child's life are the most critical for the development of brain connections that determine how a child thinks and interacts with the world. Children 1st provides support to the family and addresses conditions in the child's environment that have a negative impact on overall well-being. Early nurturing, good health, and stimulating experiences dramatically influence the structure of a child's brain, and how a child functions in school. Without the work of Children 1st , more children would arrive at school at the age of four with untreated health and developmental problems that detract from their ability to learn.
Who is eligible?
Children birth to age four who are identified to be at risk, due to social-environmental factors or medical risk conditions ( an estimated 30% of children in that age group), are screened and referred for services.
Where are services located?
Please contact your local health department for more information or the Northwest Georgia Public Health Child Health office @ 706-802-5311.
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