Health Services

Staff, community partners and parents play an increasingly important role in helping families advocate for health needs within a complex and changing health care system. Head Start helps promote families' advocacy skills by:

Identifying and documenting health concerns
Networking with other families who may have similar needs
Identifying available resources for information and services
Effectively communicating with health professionals.

WACOG Head Start encompasses a comprehensive vision of health for children, families and staff.

This is accomplished through collaborative efforts among families, staff and health professionals, to insure all child health and developmental concerns are identified, and children and families are linked to an ongoing source of continuous, accessible care to meet basic health needs; even after the child has left the program.

Health services include physical examinations, including vision and hearing screening, anemia screening and dental examinations. Follow-up treatment is provided for identified medical and/or dental problems.

Parents play an integral role in the provision of child health and developmental services, since they have long-term responsibility for their children's health. Head Start staff is careful to address parental concerns about overall child health and developmental issues.