The North Carolina Child Service Coordination Program (CSC), introduced in October 1990, offers a comprehensive, coordinated, interagency system of service for all families with children birth to five with special needs. The North Carolina Women's and Children's Health Section was named as the lead agency and are responsible for assuring that child service coordination is available to families of the target population. The local health department is the lead agency for assuring availability of child service coordination. In addition, local health departments take the lead responsibility for working with other community agencies to provide education and community outreach to identify children eligible for this program.
The philosophy of the Child Service Coordination Program:
- is family-centered and family-driven
- responds to the varying concerns of children and their families
- recognizes that concerns of children and families change over time
- recognizes that families are the constant in the lives of their children
- recognizes that families have expertise regarding their children.
The goal of the Child Service Coordination Program is to collaborate and cooperate with families to assure identification of and access to preventive, specialized and support services for themselves and their children. Through Child Service Coordination, families will have:
- improved access to services
- the opportunity for individual members and the family unit to reach their maximum potential
- the opportunity to identify their concerns and develops or enhances self-reliance skills
The Child Service Coordination Program is available at no charge to the families of children less than three years of age who are at risk for:
- Developmental delay or disability
- chronic illness or
- social/emotional disorder.
The Child Service Coordination Program is available free of charge to the families of children three to five years of age, and to some five to eight years of age, who have:
- a diagnosed developmental delay or disability, chronic illness, or social/emotional disorder, or
- clinical high risk documented by relevant providers (i.e. nurse, early intervention specialist, or social worker)
The current caseload of 244 families is managed by three full time social workers and two part-time public health nurses. Referrals are received from area hospitals, physicians, Department of Social Services, public schools, Maternity Care Coordination Program (MCC), and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
The Child Service Coordinator monitors progress with the child and family at least once every three months. Since children enrolled in this program either have or are at risk for developing developmental delay, developmental monitoring of these children is essential. The Child Service Coordinator performs developmental screening tests periodically, and the Children’s Developmental Service Agency is responsible for providing developmental assessments on all children enrolled in the Child Service Coordination Program by 32 to 36 months, and entry-level evaluations on children with suspected delays or to determine potential eligibility for the Infant-Toddler Program.
When a developmental delay is documented on a child between the ages birth to three years of age, the referral process begins. A committee responsible for determining eligibility is called the Person County Consortium, whose members consist of representatives from the health department, Children’s Developmental Service Agency (CDSA), and area mental health. The referral process for a child three to five years of age occurs through the Preschool Individualized Education Program Team. This team consists of representatives from Person County Schools, Head Start program, Early Intervention and Family Services, Durham CDSA, and the health department's Child Service Coordination Program.
Consistent or Recurring Issues/Problems:
- Increase in the number of premature babies born to Person County mothers and in need of child service coordination.
- Failure to receive referrals from local medical providers when appropriate for potential developmental delays or high risk for developmental delays.
Suggested Solutions:
- Continue to explore ways to increase community awareness of the various services available to children and their families so they can access the services and programs they need quickly.