Assessing the Need for Child‐Care Health Consultants

Abstract

This study surveyed health and safety needs of child-care programs; examined the perceptions of directors, the person identified as being responsible for a program, concerning health consultation; and determined how directors would secure funds to pay for consultative services. The survey was conducted in a state without mandates for child-care health consultation and minimal access to consultants. The researchers designed and pilot-tested a Child Care Health and Safety Survey. Working with a task group of statewide child health experts, the researchers revised the survey and mailed it to a random sample of child-care programs. Twenty-two Head Start Programs, 122 licensed child-care centers, and 116 family child-care homes participated, representing a return rate of 73, 36, and 30%, respectively. The majority of programs expressed interest in child-care health consultation offered for free or fee-based. Directors identified reasonable means of obtaining funds to support consultation. All programs had needs related to supporting health practices in their settings, provision of health services for staff, and health screening for children. Public health nurses, specially trained to advise child care, are well positioned to offer consultation. Systems of health consultation may be accepted as fee-for-service arrangements, supporting sustainability.

Development and Evaluation of Comprehensive Health Care Program for Infectious Disease Management in Child Care Centers by Doctor of Korean Medicine

“…특히, 영유아기는 면역계의 발달이 미숙하여 처음으로 보육시설 등의 집단 생활을 경험하는 경우 감염성 질환에 더욱 취약한 양상을 보인다 (Engman, Bornehag, Sundell., & Aberg, 2006;Hurwitz, Gunn, Pinsky, & Schonberger, 1991). 이는 체력적, 심리적 스트레스로 인해 질병에 대한 저항력이 더욱 저하되고 Sher, 2004) 또래와의 잦은 접촉 (Thacker et al, 1992) (Alkon & Boyce, 1999;O'Mara & Chambers, 1992), 보육시 설 내 건강실천에 대한 일반적 지원, 정책 수행 개발, 보육 시설 건강증진 프로그램 개발, 투약 관리, 감염 관리와 같 은 아픈 아동에 대한 대처 (Gaines, Wold, Spencer, & Leary, 2005) 등과, 보육교사들이 요구하는 건강교육 직접제공, 건강검진에 대한 지원 등 (Kim, 2005)을 반영할 필요가 있 다. 보육시설 아동의 감염성 질환 예방과 관리의 중요성을 인식한 다수의 선행 연구 (Butz, Larson, Fosarelli, & Yolken, 1990;Carabin et al, 1999;Kotch et al, 1994;Krilov et al, 1996;Roberts et al, 2000;Uhari & Mottonen, 1999) (Gupta, Shuman, Taveras, Kulldorff, & Finkelstein, 2005) 보육교사 와 전문 의료인력의 협력이 중요하다는 것은 알려져 있다 (Alkon, Farrer, & Bernzweig, 2004;Crowley, 2000;Crowley & Sabatelli, 2008 (Choi et al, 2010;Kim, Ra, Lee, & Choi, 2008; (Carabin et al, 1999;Uhari & Mottonen, 1999;Kotch et al, 1994;Krilov et al, 1996;Roberts et al, 2000;Wald et al, 1991)…”

Child Care Health Consultation Programs in California: Models, Services, and Facilitators

“…Although national organizations and initiatives support the health consultant role (American Academy of Pediatrics et al, 2002; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 2006), there are few states that require child care health consultants to work with ECE programs. Health and safety is a primary concern for parents seeking ECE programs for their young children (National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, 2007), and ECE program directors want to work with health consultants to address their programs' needs (Gaines et al, 2005). To maintain the highest standard of quality care in an ECE program, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is recommending that programs have and implement a written agreement with a health consultant (http://www.naeyc.org/academy/standards/standard5/standard5A.asp).…”

“…Nurses in many states have played leading roles in the child care health consultation field (Cianciolo et al, 2004;Crowley, 1990;Evers, 2002;Gaines, Wold, Bean, Brannon, & Leary, 2004;Lucarelli, 2002;Passarelli, 1987;Ulione & Crowley, 1997). Surveys of parents and ECE providers show that there is a need for health consultants in ECE programs to address their health and safety concerns (Crowley, 1990;Gaines, Wold, Spencer, & Leary, 2005;Gupta, Shuman, Taveras, Kulldorf, & Finkelstein, 2005;Taveras, LaPelle, Gupta, & Finkelstein, 2006) and many nurses are providing these services. Faculty in schools of nursing are also providing nursing students with clinical opportunities to work as consultants in ECE programs (Crowley, 2000;Gaines, 1996).…”

Welfare, work, and health care access predictors of low-income children's physical health outcomes

“…Children have also been shown to recover faster from illnesses when their parents are present (Heymann, Toomey, & Furstenberg, 1999). Furthermore, poor quality child care has been linked to adverse developmental outcomes (Gaines & Spencer, 2005;NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2003b). Although low-income children are more likely to benefit from high-quality child care than higher-income children, they are also less likely to receive high-quality child care (Fuller et al, 2002).…”