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Talking Points: The Pediatric Health Practitioner’s Role in School Readiness -- Enhancing the Content of Well-Child Care Charles Bruner, SECPTAN September,

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Presentation on theme: "Talking Points: The Pediatric Health Practitioner’s Role in School Readiness -- Enhancing the Content of Well-Child Care Charles Bruner, SECPTAN September,"— Presentation transcript:

1 Talking Points: The Pediatric Health Practitioner’s Role in School Readiness -- Enhancing the Content of Well-Child Care Charles Bruner, SECPTAN September, 2005

2 Five Reasons for Enhancing Well- Child Care Opportunity: Near universal contact with young children Expectation: Ultimate goals for well-child care Impact: Health’s potential contribution to closing the gap in kindergarten readiness Interconnectedness: Relationship of health and social/emotional development to cognitive development Potential: Existence of exemplary and implementable practices and programs

3 Opportunity More than any other service providers, pediatric health practitioners see young children and their parents and can identify developmental concerns –99% of children 0-5 visit a health practitioner at least once during the year –31% of children 0-5 have a well-child visit/EPSDT screen funded by Medicaid Source: Commonwealth Fund

4 Expectation Physical Health and Development -- Well-Child Visit Goals –No undetected hearing or vision problems –No chronic health problems without a treatment plan –Immunizations complete for age –No untreated dental caries –No undetected congenital abnormalities –Good nutritional habits and no obesity –No exposure to tobacco smoke Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Development -- Well-Child Visit Goals –No unrecognized or untreated developmental delays (social, cognitive, communications –No unrecognized maternal depression, family violence, or family substance abuse –Parents knowledgeable and skilled to anticipate and meet child’s developmental needs –Parents linked to all appropriate community services Source: Dr. Ed Schor, Commonwealth Fund

5 Impact Up to half of achievement gap in later grades is already evident in the readiness gap at kindergarten entry. - Rouse, Brooks-Gunn, and McClanahan As much as one-quarter of the readiness gap may be attributable to health conditions or health behaviors of both mothers and children. - Currie Parents play the most important role in preparing their children for school (at least one-half of all impacts on kindergarten readiness), and health services can assist in supporting parents in fulfilling that role. Source: School Readiness: Closing Racial and Ethnic Gaps, Future of Children (Spring, 2005)

6 Interconnectedness Three in four children who start school behind cognitively also have physical or social and emotional delays as issues Children starting behind in more than one area have the most difficulty catching up Kindergarten teachers report greatest challenge in helping children learn is in dealing with social and emotional issues, not cognitive ones

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8 Potential Exemplary programs and practices exist that: –Increase pediatric practitioner’s use of developmental screening, provision of anticipatory guidance, and identification of developmental health concerns during well- child visits –Strengthen pediatric referrals to Part C early intervention and other community-based services to address developmental, behavioral, and parenting needs –Link back to pediatric practitioner for monitoring and follow- up at next well-child visit These programs and practices work because they: –Make sense to practitioners, patients, and referring agencies –Have enlisted pediatric practitioner support and leadership and are implementable in office settings –Do not involve major new costs and often are eligible for Medicaid funding support

9 Promising Practices in Well-Child Care: A Beginning List Achieving Better Child Development (ABCD Initiative supported by Commonwealth Fund) Help Me Grow (Connecticut) Reach Out and Read Healthy Steps for Young Children Bright Futures and Bright Futures MH Touchpoints DSM-PC and DC:0-3 Source and Resource: Commonwealth Fund

10 Useful Websites State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network -- www.finebynine.org School Readiness Indicators Initiative -- www.gettingready.org Commonwealth Fund -- www.cmwf.org National Academy for State Health Policy -- www.nashp.org National Center for Children in Poverty -- www.nccp.org


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