Healthy Child Care Washington (Child Care Health Consultants)(Infant/Toddler Specialists)
State:
WA
Region:
10
Category:
Child Care; Health & Safety; Physical Health; Professional Development; Professional Development; Social and Emotional Health
Status:
Active
Year Started:
1990
Administered By:
Washington State Department of Health
Description:
Washington uses child care health consultants, specially trained in infant/toddler care and education, in each of the 34 local jurisdictions to support child care providers and parents of infant and toddlers.
Working through the Local Health departments and districts and child care resource and referral programs (R&Rs) in each area of the state, Healthy Child Care Washington offers consultations to child care providers on topics such as:
* brain development * communicable diseases * nutrition and feeding * environmental safety * social/emotional issues * oral health * sleep patterns and positions * speech, hearing and vision
Following the initial consultation, health care professionals then follow-up with child care providers to reinforce the concepts which were discussed and to ensure identified improvements were made in the child care setting.
When appropriate, HCCW links children and their families with mental health specialists, nutrition and feeding programs, low-cost health insurance, and other community resources which are available for families with children. The goal is to ensure that children have access to all the services available to promote their health and well-being.
The Department of Health has developed an Infant/Toddler Nurse Consultation Handbook, which is used by the child care health consultants when working with caregivers. In addition, these child care nurse consultants have received special infant/toddler and early child hood social/emotional curriculum training. The training was provided by the University of Washington Infant Mental Health program.