Cutting-Edge Practice

Maternal and Child Health Programs & Child Welfare: A New Partnership in Connecticut to Improve Child Outcomes

State/Jurisdiction: Connecticut
Setting: Workplace
Population: Children Medical & Public Health Professionals
Topic Area: Safe and Connected Communities Health Promotion & Communication Workforce Development
NPMs: NA

This training practice increased the knowledge of Child Welfare staff in Connecticut on young child development and recognizing developmental milestones, how to identify red flags, document those interactions, concerns, and make beneficial referrals. Our practice demonstrates how partnerships can improve systems for developmental monitoring, early identification, and intervention. This collaboration also exhibits the collective impact of all stakeholders that constitute the larger system we aim to change and improve outcomes for children is a shared responsibility across professionals, agencies, and settings. CT Maternal Child Health’s priority is to train community and healthcare providers to improve screening rates and coordination of referrals and linkage to services within the state. The CDC Act Early Ambassador for Connecticut (LTSAE) is housed at the UConn Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCONN UCEDD), and has been working in partnership with the CT Department of Children and Families (DCF) to improve their ability to identify infants and young children who should be screened for ASD. This partnership builds upon a DCF initiative to improve on interactions with young children and aligns with CT’s Act Early goals to collaborate with state agencies and partners on workforce development including child welfare workers.


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Implementation Handout
Child Development Fliers
DCF LTSAE Training

CONTACT INFORMATION
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Bethanne Vergean
vergean@uchc.edu
860-679-1500
Practice Website