Bright Futures Program Goals
- To provide families with the knowledge that their children are
physically healthy and developmentally appropriate for their age.
- To identify children who are developmentally delayed, disabled
or need medical management.
- To provide parents with training, information and support in caring
for their young children.
- To provide early identification of health and developmental concerns
in children birth through age five.
- To educate parents on developmental milestones and how parents can
help their children achieve them.
- To build bridges by referring parents and children to community
providers for primary health care services and treatment.
- To improve developmental outcomes (school readiness) and thereby
improve early school performance.
- To assess the child's strengths and weaknesses, without labeling or
stigmatizing the child.
In partnership and cooperation with health care and social service organizations,
Bright Futures activities is comprised of ten free comprehensive health / development
screenings in the pilot project of Live Oak. The program is offered to all children,
ages birth through age five. With the help of professionals, paraprofessionals, and
age-appropriate diagnostic tools, the primary access of services consists of
assessments of the children's hearing, speech-language, vision, motor and cognitive
abilities. Additionally, nutrition counseling, behavior, physical health consultation,
information on developmental stages, literacy, car seat safety and dental assessments
will be provided.
Each screening is split into two blocks of screening times (a.m. and p.m.). Families
are scheduled for a screening by appointment and rotate through the screening stations
for approximately two hours. Should concerns arise out of any of these assessments,
referrals are made back to the health care provider for more in-depth evaluation and
treatment.
The old concept in Social Service delivery focuses on deficiencies, weaknesses and
problems; Bright Futures offers a new concept that utilizes people’s strengths,
capacities and assets. The program works to foster resilient, capable families through
the programs objective of increasing parent's knowledge of and access to child
development information that increases parenting confidence and competence. The
program’s activities also provide the following:
- An increase in the parent's awareness of immunization schedules through
consultation and referrals for timely immunizations.
- Enhancement of healthy nutrition.
- Knowledge of appropriate parenting models with regards to behavior.
Parents receive needed and infrequently given reinforcement and encouragement
that they and their children are doing well.
- Promotes parental knowledge of and responsibility for the child's total
well-being.
This program endeavors to ultimately screen each child, birth through age five, in
order to identify those with surfacing developmental delays, disabilities or needing
medical management. Bright Futures can help assure the best possible treatment for
children and prepare them for their optimum healthy development and wellness.
Additional LinksProgram ComponentsProjected Outcomes |
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