Maternal and Child Health

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Maternal and Child Health

Improving the well-being of pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children is an important public health goal in Fulton County, Georgia. Our Fulton County Board of Health Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services focus on health issues concerning women, children and families. As an expectant or new mom, you can receive access to prenatal care classes, breastfeeding support, and supplemental nutrition vouchers through the WIC program. Our newest program, Fulton-Parents as Teachers, offers parent mentoring, home visits and other community resources to help you become an informed and empowered parent. Once your baby is born, our MCH services provide critical newborn hearing screenings, health screenings, and medical assessments for babies with special needs or developmental delays, through our Children’s 1st and Babies Can’t Wait programs.

As your child grows up, they can receive medical services through our Children’s Medical Services and Oral Health services for children, youth and young adults.
The health and wellness of mothers and their infants, toddlers and youth will determine the health of families for the next generation.
See our list of MCH services below for more detailed information on how the Fulton County Board of Health can help you and your family grow up healthy.

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maternal and child health Services

BABIES CAN'T WAIT

Babies Can't Wait is Georgia’s state-wide, interagency, early intervention program for families with infants and toddlers from birth to age three, who have developmental delays or disabilities.
It is a federally mandated program under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides a framework for coordinating developmental, educational, and community support within natural environments for children under three and their families.
Service coordinators assist the family and other professionals with putting together a comprehensive plan to enhance the child's development and help their families receive the support that they need.

Services Provided:

Free evaluation & assessment to determine eligibility and scope of services
Service coordination to develop & implement a plan to enhance the child's development
Transition planning to the education system at age three

Clinic Locations:

Oak Hill Child, Adolescent and Family Health Center

CHILDREN FIRST/FIRST CARE

Children 1st is a population-based system in the State of Georgia, designed to serve as an entry point into all public health services for children, birth to 5-years of age. Under the program, children are screened and those found to have sufficient biological, social, and/or emotional “risk factors” are linked to early intervention services, as well as other public health services and community-based resources. Children who do not present risk factors severe enough to qualify for an early intervention program remain in Children 1st where they are linked directly to a doctor and monitored to ensure that if sufficient risk factors do arise, the identification, screening, and placement in an early intervention program can occur as quickly as possible.

Services Provided:

Health screening
Medical home
Monitoring for children up to 5 years of age
First Care: Specialty registered nursing services
Home visits
Nursing physical assessment
Parent education
Health developmental monitoring of very low-birth-weight or medically-fragile infants up to one-year old, and their families.

To receive a referral for Children 1st, please call 404-612-8770.

CHILDREN'S MEDICAL SERVICES

Children’s Medical Services is a statewide program that supports children, youth and young adults (birth - 21) with special health care needs and their families. Children’s Medical Services provides assistance to eligible families and young adults with accessing timely and affordable health care services as well as needed resources within their communities.

Children’s Medical Services works with the child and young adult’s primary and specialty medical specialists to provide or coordinate for:

Genetic Counseling
Inpatient/Outpatient Hospitalization
Durable Medical Equipment
Medications and Supplies
Diagnostic Testing

Eligibility for the Children’s Medical Services program is based on the following:

Eligible medical condition
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Examples of eligible medical conditions include, but are not limited to:

Asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other lung disorders
Some hearing disorders
Neurological and neurosurgery disorders including seizures, benign tumors, hydrocephalus, and others
Orthopedic and/or neuromuscular disorders including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, scoliosis, clubfeet, congenital or traumatic amputations of limbs, and others
Visual disorders including cataracts, glaucoma, strabismus, and others
Diabetes and other endocrine and genetic disorders
Craniofacial anomalies (including cleft lip/palate)
Congenital cardiac conditions

Learn more about services provided for Fulton County

Clinic Locations:

Oak Hill Child, Adolescent and Family Health Center

EARLY HEARING DETECTION

The most crucial period for language development is the first year of life. Without newborn screening, hearing loss is typically not identified until the age of two. Screening for all newborns prior to discharge from the hospital or the birthing center is essential for the earliest possible identification of hearing loss and therefore, for language, communication, educational and reading potential to be maximized.

Under the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program, babies are screened for hearing loss at birth and those who do not pass are re-screened. Newborns who do not pass the re-screening are referred for diagnostic audiological evaluations and if found to have hearing loss, are linked to appropriate intervention.

Services Provided:

Screening for Hearing Loss
Diagnostic audiological evaluations

Clinic Locations:

Center for Health & Rehabilitation

College Park (Willie J. Freeman) Regional Health Center

Neighborhood Union Health Center

Oak Hill Child, Adolescent and Family Health Center

DENTAL (ORAL) HEALTH

The Fulton County Board of Health offers oral health services to eligible children and adolescents from the time their first tooth erupts (grows in) as toddlers until they graduate from high school. Children who have Medicaid or qualify for the free and reduced cost school nutrition programs are eligible for oral health services.

Learn More

Board of Health

maternal and Child health Resources

Healthy Mother’s Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia

Provide services to expectant families. Services include prenatal education and resources to expectant mothers, breastfeeding support and education, and assistance with accessing health insurance.

For more infomation, visit hmhbga.org

Healthy Mother’s Healthy Babies Portal

Call: 1-800-300-9003

American Academy of Pediatrics – GA Chapter

The official website of the American Academy of Pediatrics for parents on accurate, trusted and up-to-date information on issues regarding infants, children, and adolescents.

Visit www.gaaap.org

Parent to Parent of Georgia

Provide services to children and youth with disabilities and their families. Services include an on-line database of various resources locally, educational trainings for parents and parent support program.

Visit www.p2pga.org

Special Needs Database

Call: 1-800-229-2038