Children 1st

This program collaborates with families, healthcare providers, schools, and other agencies to identify children at risk of poor health outcomes and developmental delays. These risks can stem from a range of factors, including prenatal conditions, birth-related factors, infancy/childhood issues, medical or biological conditions, and parental/family circumstances. It’s important to note that the list of risk conditions is not exhaustive.

Children 1st’s primary aim is to ensure that all children are healthy and ready for school by the age of five. It achieves this by helping families access essential health and community services, providing education on early childhood development, and offering support to create nurturing environments for children. The program includes an initial assessment involving a Maternal Child Health Assessment, identification of a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for the child, and an Ages and Stages Developmental Screening. Follow-up assessments occur every six months for a year to maintain connections with the PCP and other necessary resources.

Established by the Georgia Division of Public Health, Children 1st serves as an early identification and linkage program for children at risk of health or developmental issues. Children aged from birth to 5 years with various risk conditions are eligible. The program identifies these children through a statewide screening process, involving hospital staff, birth certificate reviews, health department personnel, private physicians, childcare providers, parents, or other individuals. If a child meets the criteria, they are enrolled in the program, and public health nurses from local county health departments provide monitoring and in-home evaluations. The program also encourages linking children with primary care physicians and refers families to additional community resources when needed, ensuring the child’s health is monitored over time.