Knowledge Bank

This presentation will highlight the work of the Ohio State Early Head Start Partnership Program. The Ohio State University received a five-year renewable grant to provide funding for 160 infants, toddlers and their families to receive high-quality early education and comprehensive services. The Ohio State Early Head Start program partners with 11 existing child care centers and eight family child care home providers who are located in areas of high poverty in Columbus, Ohio. The goals of the program include: expand access to high-quality services for low-income infants, toddlers and their families, create a network of community partnerships as a base to provide high-quality comprehensive services (i.e., mental health, medical, nutrition, disabilities, education, family stability and support), implement a quality program that is aligned to the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), engage parents in their role as primary caregivers for their children, and move parents toward self-sufficiency. The model for this program is unique and has received national attention. The collaborative efforts extend beyond the child care centers to include community agency partnerships. The program has leveraged partners in the community with expertise in the areas of health, mental health, nutrition, disabilities and social services. These partners include: Center for Healthy Families, Children's Hunger Alliance, Columbus Public Health, Community Properties of Ohio, Franklin County Board of DD, Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services, Franklin County Family and Children First/Help Me Grow, Moms2B, Nationwide Children's Hospital Dental Clinic, Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Centers, New Directions Career Center, Ohio State College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State College of Nursing, Ohio State Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Ohio State Department of Speech and Hearing, Ohio State Nisonger Center, Quantum Health, and St. Vincent Family Center. These partners meet each month to further their collaborative efforts. The Ohio State EHS Program partners with community experts to advance health and wellness in our most vulnerable population. Through the integration of these services, infants, toddlers, and their families are receiving high quality care. Examples of these significant services include: Nationwide Children's Hospital dental staff provide complete dental exams at the centers every six months for all 160 infants and toddlers. Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care sends a mobile unit to the child care centers to bring children up-to-date on their well-child checks and immunizations. Children's Hunger Alliance and Columbus Public Health provide the Healthy Children, Healthy Weights program to encourage proper nutrition. Ohio State Department of Speech and Hearing provides hearing exams which not only allow children to receive the service, but also the opportunity for Ohio State students to gain important firsthand experience about poverty.

AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Sherrie Sutton, Assistant Director, Ohio State University Early Head Start/Schoenbaum Family Center, sutton.401@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Kim Hammersmith, Pediatric Dentist, Nationwide Children's Hospital; Jennifer Voit, Director, Primary Care Centers, Nationwide Children's Hospital; Beth Noel, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Dentistry; Catherine Flaitz, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Dentistry.