1. Work with existing coalitions or affinity groups to promote young child wellness defined as a state of positive physical, emotional, social and behavioral health. 2. Identify best practices from CHWs or healthcare coalitions to identify how to support young children’s physical and mental health needs to meet the following objectives: a. Improve child health outcomes through education and preventive care. Preventive care support includes: i. Encouraging routine well child visits ii. Provide guidance on oral health and dental care iii. Promote adherence to immunization schedules iv. Assist families in accessing developmental, hearing, vision, and behavioral health screenings. b. Enhance parental and caregiver knowledge on child health and mental health i. Educate parents and caregivers on nutrition and healthy eating habits ii. Encourage parents and caregiver understanding of importance of physical activity and outdoor play iii. Increase parental knowledge on child growth and developmental milestones iv. Provide parents with immunization information c. Increase access to healthcare services and community resources i. Connect families with local healthcare providers and pediatricians ii. Connect families with resources to assist with nutritional assistance and food security, housing and social support services, childcare and early education programs. iii. Assist with insurance enrollment and healthcare access. d. Support early detection and intervention for physical and mental health concerns i. Assist families with identifying concerns about their child’s development ii. Assist families with referring children with potential health concerns to healthcare providers and mental health providers iii. Support families in navigating early intervention services and referrals iv. Provide follow-up to ensure continuity of care 3. Develop a report with concerns identified by CHWs and coalitions on what families are facing regarding access to care and obstacles in meeting their children’s healthy developmental needs. 4. Work with the DOH Project LAUNCH and its partners to assess the effectiveness of the CHWs to support young child wellness so that both the Awarded Contractor and DOH Project LAUNCH can make modifications as needed or throughout the contract period.
