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2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership ConferenceChild Health Liaison Program: A modified approach in El Paso County, ColoradoPRIMARY CONTACT:Alana S Podratz, BSNPublic Health NurseEl Paso County Department of Health andEnvironment301 S. Union Blvd.Colorado Springs, CO, 80910Phone: (719) 578-3130Fax: (719) 578-3234Email: alanapodratz@epchealth.orgCO-PRESENTER(S)/AUTHOR(S):Deniz Kitchen, denizkitchen@epchealth.org(Author)CATEGORYChild growth, development, preventive careFOCUSProgram Policy FocusISSUEIn the United States, 58% of mothers with children younger than six years of age are in the labor force. Ofthese children, 85% are cared for in non-parental care arrangements. Given the significant percentage ofchildren served in these settings, healthy and safe child care environments are critical to the well-being ofthis population. In Colorado, early childhood education staff has minimal health and safety training andthe state’s child care licensing requirements are not equivalent to the National Health and SafetyPerformance Standards.SETTINGThis community-based pilot project took place in El Paso County, Colorado. Twelve sites targeted werelicensed child care centers/preschool programs that serve children four years of age and younger. In total,the intervention sites served 1,275 children and employing 230 staff. Thirteen Child Health Liaison(CHL) candidates were chosen from the 12 programs, and included an owner, director, assistant director,assistant coordinator, health liaison, and classroom staff.PROJECTCHL is a 10-month program designed to improve the quality, health and safety in early care and education(ECE) settings. Our program was modeled after a CHL program first developed by Boulder CountyDepartment of Public Health. CHL assignees served as health champions and advocates within theirfacility, working in partnership with other staff members and families. CHL assignees attended monthlystandardized trainings, and received on-site mentoring for the implementation of targeted health andsafety practices and center based policy changes.Project planning solicited community stakeholders, including a crucial partnership with El Paso County’sEarly Childhood Council, which was looking for ways to integrate health into comprehensive early care64
2009 CityMatCH Urban MCH Leadership Conferenceand education programs in our county.ACCOMPLISHMENTS/RESULTSData were collected regarding changes in:• Health and safety knowledge.• Learning environments.• Provider practices in targeted intervention areas, using pre- and post-training tests, on-site observationsand surveys.Pre- and post-test scores showed modest increases in mean scores for 7 of 10 modules. Changes inlearning environments were assessed using the ECERS-R (Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised) and ITERS-R (Infant and Toddler Environment Rating Scale-Revised), specifically using the‘Personal Care Routine’ subscale. Center-based programs improved on post-test environment ratingscales, but only ECERS-R scores showed statistically significant increases.Several targeted interventions were noted:• An increase in compliance with immunization documentation from 83.4% to 88.2%.• 73% of CHLs stated they improved nutritional value of their center’s menu.• 73% of the CHLs reported having more educational materials on health or safety accessible in the center• An improvement in hand washing practices.• Integration of health and safety resources for families.BARRIERS• High turnover in classroom staff made implementation of the program challenging.• Participants reported resistance to practice changes amongst classroom staff.• Financial constraints were a significant barrier to improvements in the centers.LESSONS LEARNED• Local early childhood councils and ECE providers are essential partners for integration of healthinitiatives into early childhood systems.• Stipends and incentives help avoid high attrition, but are difficult to sustain.• Mentoring is an essential component for a successful CHL program.RESOURCES• MCH block grant funds.• Private sources: Pikes Peak Community Foundation.KEY PARTNERS/STAKEHOLDERSAlliance for Kids-El Paso County's Early Childhood Council.65
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Conference Abstract Compendium Examples from the ... - CityMatCH

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