From the first day of enrollment, a young child's attendance matters. Good attendance leads to lifelong learning and positive habits necessary for school and work. This tip sheet can help program managers begin to plan and evaluate their health services to support children's attendance and improve their school readiness.
From the first day of enrollment, a young child's attendance matters! Good attendance leads to lifelong learning and positive habits necessary for school and work. When young children are chronically absent from Head Start, Early Head Start, or child care, often they are likely to continue to be chronically absent in elementary school. Others may drop-out as they get older. Absenteeism decreases children's opportunity to engage in learning, impacting their development in all domains of the Child Development and Early Learning Framework. (See Making the Link Between Health and School Readiness to learn more about the impact of health on child development).
Jonathan Faletti: Our first presenter is Dr. Colleen Kraft. Dr. Kraft was a member of the first Head Start class in 1965. Currently she is the medical director of the Health Network at Cincinnati Children's, and she is also currently the chair of the advisory committee of the National Center on Health. So without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Kraft.
Child care health consultants (CCHCs) are health professionals who know about child health, child development, and health and safety in child care settings.
This section is designed for child care providers and health consultants. These resources can be used to help ensure safe, healthy, and high-quality settings for all children.
These tools, for new and experienced staff, address science-informed practices for early childhood health staff. Each is indicative of an attitude, knowledge, or skill. Use this for professional development.
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2011). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards; Guidelines for early care and education programs. 3rd edition. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. http://nrckids.org
Caring for Our Children Basics represents the minimum health and safety standards necessary where children are cared for outside of their home. These standards seek to reduce the redundancy cross standards with multiple funding streams.
The Virtual Early Education Center (VEEC) is an online tool for early care and education (ECE) programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care. It is designed to have the look and feel of an actual ECE center. Visitors can move from room to room within the VEEC to find information on health and safety practices and useful resources. Use it to explore resources and information regarding Head Start Program Performance Standards and Caring for Our Children (CFOC). Learn more about health-focused ECE and best practices.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes a person to have recurring seizures. It is the most common childhood brain disorder in the United States affecting nearly 450,000 American children. To best care for children with epilepsy, it is important that early childhood education staff are informed about the condition, its triggers, and treatments. Use this newsletter to help guide an action plan for children in your program and to share home safety information with parents. Also, read it to learn what programs can do to support children with epilepsy.