CHILD FIND FOR EARLY INTERVENTION - 2008

The Child Find Program for Early Intervention is a system to identify children birth to age three who are at risk of a developmental delay.  The Child Find Program ensures that at-risk children have a primary care home that will provide developmental surveillance and screening.  Physicians are encouraged to provide this as part of every child’s routine health care and to make referrals to the Department of Special Children’s services on those children who are identified as at-risk.  The program ensures that families have an opportunity to access health insurance through Child Health Plus or Medicaid if a child is uninsured or underinsured.  It provides an avenue for primary care providers to locate at-risk children who have become lost to the system and to determine and resolve barriers to routine health care.

At risk eligibility criteria includes over 29 medical/biological risk factors such as the following:

Low Birth Weight
10 days or more in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Growth Deficiency/Nutritional Problems
Parental Substance Abuse
Others including Suspected Developmental Delay, At-Risk Factors or Parental Concerns
Indicated Child Abuse/Neglect Cases

Referral sources are hospitals, physicians, public health nurses, parents, Social Services and community agencies.

If a primary care provider is unable to provide screening and surveillance to at-risk children, SCS nurses will home visit at intervals of six months, one year, two years, and three years to monitor the child’s growth and development; and to provide support and reassurance to the parents.

If delays or areas of concern are identified, the SCS nurses refer to appropriate community agencies including the Early Intervention Program for an in-depth developmental evaluation.

There is no cost to families.  The county cost is administrative only.


Child Find Statistics
Special Children's Home
Steuben County Home
E-mail

updated 07/10/09   jenn