Building Networks To Serve Children And Families (NAPSA)—There is good news for parents in Orange County, Cali- Developing Networks “When we began in 2000,” says Mike Ruane, executive director of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County, “we fornia who do not know where to look for help. A public agency is finding ways to serve families brought improvementsto the lives whena child is born weeks premature, or when a 4-year-old is kicked out of preschool for disruptive of 41,000 children. By steadily strengthening our connections to networks that support families ents could not afford to address. hospitals, community-based agen- behavior, or when a child has a dental or health issue that the par- and children—including birthing ingly limited funding. In addition, cies, and schools—wewill bring improvements to the health and learning capacity of more than nationwide. By making smart use In just 10 years, the Commission has contributed to increases It is tackling problems such as these, even in the face of increasits innovative approach may serve as a model for similar agencies 205,000 children this year. ” in the immunization rates of children at age 2 by 23 percent. Its of its funding and encouraging coordination among agencies, it is finding ways to address the needs partnership with the Orange of children before they enter school. For example, the Children and County chapter of the American By making smart useof its funding and encouraging coordination Academy of Pediatrics safety edu- is addressing the needs of chil- percent. Its support of shelter pro- needs by acting as an umbrella to the treatment of autism in increase in warm, safe beds for of pediatricians, school nurses, dren’s needs and connecting par- homeless families. In one year alone, the Commis- and treatments. 51,000 health screenings for chil- Families Commission of Orange County, California reaches out to parents with school health fairs and the county’s “2-1-1” resource and referral hotline. It serves their organization to combinethe efforts injuries to young children by 39 dren before they enter school. grams for homeless families has led to more than a tenfold Orange County, evaluating chil- clinics and public health centers ents to the appropriate services Among the many services the The Commission also helped Orange County to pioneer the into a web of supportive services. Early Health Needs Commission has pulled together are efforts to address children’s health and developmentissues as early as possible. For example, when it was reported that one- third of Orange County kindergartners have untreated tooth decay, the Commission invested in a program—Healthy Smiles—to provide dental services to more than 14,800 children. It helped coordinate the efforts of a local hospital and university to create an asthma center that serves 3,800 children a year. It formed the first center dedicated cation campaign has reduced fatal among programs, a public agency introduction of school nurses to the preschool population. These nurses sion has sponsored more than dren, delivered more than 74,000 homevisits to help parents and families, and put free books into the hands of 61,000 children. “If anything, this Commission screen for developmental, vision, health, oral health and other issues, and then connect parents to the appropriate services. is demonstrating how the simple act of coordinating existing social successful programs is one that ties of individual programs,” says with a national partner, Reach Out and Read. This program sends reading volunteers directly to pedi- educated pediatrician who relocated to work in Orange County, One of the Commission’s most can be easily replicated by working atricians’ offices, distributing free books and supporting the pediatricians’ instruction to parents to read to their children every day. services can reap a sum of bene- fits far greater than the capabili- Dr. Joseph Donnelly, a Harvardwhere he now directs a neurode- velopment program for children. To learn more, visit www.oc childrenandfamilies.org or call (714) 834-5310.
