Medical Home-Head Start Partnership to Promote Early Learning for Low-Income Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Early Childhood Education
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Improving access to early learning programs like Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) is crucial for children in diverse, low-income communities.
• Existing systems often face challenges in screening, referral, and enrollment for these programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the screening, referral, and enrollment processes for Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) among children from diverse, low-income populations.
• To establish a sustainable partnership between pediatric clinics and EHS/HS programs.

Main Methods:

• A pediatric clinic-EHS/HS partnership was developed using existing resources.
• Key components included a screening protocol, a single referral point of contact, provider education, and monthly outcome reporting.
• A pre- and post-cross-sectional study design evaluated outcomes via medical chart review for children aged 0-4 years.

Main Results:

• EHS/HS screening rates significantly increased from 8% to 46% post-intervention (OR 10.5).
• Documented EHS/HS referral rates rose from 1% to 20% (OR 18.3).
• Of referred children, 14% enrolled in EHS/HS.

Conclusions:

• A medical home-Head Start partnership effectively creates an integrated system to boost screening and referral rates.
• This model demonstrates a successful strategy for connecting vulnerable children to early learning opportunities.
• Leveraging existing resources can build impactful community-based health and education collaborations.