Best Practice

1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative

State/Jurisdiction: Iowa
Setting: Clinical Community
Population: Children Families & Caregivers Medical & Public Health Professionals
Topic Area: Primary & Preventative Care Health Screening Care Coordination
NPMs:

Primary care providers often miss developmental delays without the use of validated screening tools, identifying only 30% of children in need compared to 70-80% with screening. Despite this, only one-third of Iowa parents with young children report completing a developmental screening in the past year, and even when screenings occur, just 59% of pediatricians provide referrals for children who screen positive. Iowa’s 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative (1st Five) addresses these gaps by helping primary care practices incorporate developmental screenings and referrals into their workflow, ensuring more children receive the support they need. 1st Five is a free and voluntary program for Iowa families with children birth to age five and works to promote the use of standardized developmental tools that support early identification of social-emotional and developmental delays.

Built on the lessons of the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD II) project, 1st Five enhances partnerships between medical practices and public service providers to improve the quality of well-child care across the state. Following the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines and supported by Iowa’s Medicaid EPSDT program, 1st Five’s four-part model enables earlier detection of risks and delays and provides coordinated referrals, interventions, and follow-up. This evidence-informed approach helps prevent the need for more intensive care later, ensuring children receive appropriate support during these critical early years.



Back to Database

Implementation Handout
Annual Report


CONTACT INFORMATION
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Amy Robak
amy.robak@hhs.iowa.gov
Mykala.beard@hhs.iowa.gov

Practice Website