1. Promoting early childhood health and literacy
Megan Brady, MPH, MSW
Project Coordinator
Henry Ford Health System
Institute on Multicultural Health

2. Learning Objectives
Identify links between early childhood literacy skills and future health status
Describe a program to promote early childhood health and literacy
Describe the challenges of recruiting participants to a community health education program

3. background

4. READ History HFHS Institute on Multicultural Health
Project Great Start, 2004
Funding from Sanofi-Aventis

5. Why childhood health and literacy?
About 47% of Detroiters are functionally illiterate (National Adult Literacy Study)
Exposure to books and reading in the first years of life increases the probability of both healthy child development and school success (Reach Out and Read, Policy Case)

6. implementation

7. READ Goals
Goals
To provide a guided reading program for children to promote early childhood reading and family interaction
To foster partnerships between families, Henry Ford Health System, Health Alliance Plan, and the neighboring community
To increase family awareness and participation in health-promoting and prevention activities
To promote desired social, developmental, and health outcomes of children during early childhood

8. READ Objectives Objectives
Disseminate culturally-appropriate reading materials to each child and their guardians to promote early childhood education
Disseminate culturally-appropriate health promotion materials to each parent or legal guardian to promote desired health outcomes in children during early childhood

9. READ Recruitment Recruiting families
Pulled information from our Corporate Data Store to identify Henry Ford patients (ages 3-5 years old) living in a particular zip code
Sent letters to eligible families
Also posted flyers at organizations in the neighborhood and made announcements at community meetings

10. READ Recruitment Enlisting volunteers Physicians HAP employees
Sent an invitation to pediatricians and family practitioners in the system asking them to participate or recommend a nurse/PA/NP in their office to participate
Ended up finding most participation from family practice residents
HAP employees
Sent an invitation to HAP employees through volunteer services coordinator
Received a huge response!
Each attended a volunteer training

11. READ Activities Summary of program activities Child component
Volunteers read the children pre-selected books that are related to the topic of the day
The children engage in activities related to the books and health topics
Each child takes home a copy of one of the books and a related gift incentive

12. READ Activities Summary of program activities Parent component
Parents hear from a healthcare provider on the topic of the day
Presentations are prepared for the healthcare provider by READ program staff and are based on the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Bright Futures” curriculum
Parent have an opportunity to have all their questions answered by the healthcare providers

13. evaluation

14. READ Evaluation Process evaluation
Documented in an annual program report, detailing number of participants and volunteers recruited and changes made to the program
Since 2005…
86 families have participated in READ
97% of adults were African American
82% were between years old
78% had at least some college education

15. READ Evaluation Program evaluation
100% reported excellent, very good, or good on overall satisfaction with the program
the majority of which fell into either excellent or very good

16. READ Evaluation Program evaluation
Participants named “speaker knowledge of topic,” “materials for children,” “activities for kids,” and “information for parents” as things they liked most about the program.
One person suggested “personal hygiene” as a suggestion for future topics. And suggestions for improving the quality of the program included, “more sessions” and to “advertise to ‘outsiders.’”

17. lessons learned

18. READ Successes and Barriers
Program is well-received by the participants
Put on 1st Children’s Health and Reading Fair
Barriers
Low turn-out
Low return rate

19. Megan Brady mbrady2@hfhs.org
questions?
Megan Brady