UW-Madison Department of Pediatrics & School of Human Ecology The PDG partnership with UW–Madison reaches across two schools, the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) and the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Department of Pediatrics. A team led by Dr. Dipesh Navsaria – who has faculty appointments in both schools – aims to improve the quality of and access to early care and education programs for Wisconsin’s children and families through Child Care Health Consultation (CCHC) based on the gaps identified in a scan of early care and education (ECE) policies and procedures. Dr. Navsaria’s team will ascertain, evaluate, and establish the basis for health consultation initiatives in Wisconsin to increase support for early care and education providers to help achieve the goal of flourishing, thriving children, particularly in the areas of health and well-being. PDG funds: Were used in Phase 1 of this project to perform a scan of the policies and procedures related to health, safety, and well-being from ECE providers statewide, survey ECE providers, and produce an analysis of gaps and inconsistencies that impact child and family access to ECE programs. Will be used in Phase 2 to create and disseminate information to ECE providers and child care regulators on health information including (but not limited to) child development, feeding and nutrition, medication administration, and some common chronic childhood illnesses. Will also be used in Phase 2 to develop a plan for a sustainable health consultation in a state-wide model, offering a friendly, supportive access point for ECE providers to ask and receive high-quality answers to their questions. Read about the piloted website in specific areas of Wisconsin, below. Early Childhood Health Consultation Website In continued collaboration with UW-Madison School of Human Ecology (SoHE) and the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Department of Pediatrics, our partner at UW-Madison just announced the launch of the Early Childhood Health Consultation website. Through this program, early care and education (ECE) providers can receive free health consultations, on-demand training, and tailored resources surrounding best practices for health and safety needs at their child care facilities. While the goal is to offer services state-wide, this program is currently being piloted in Adams County, Rock County, and the La Courte Oreilles Tribe. In the meantime, anyone outside of these areas can still access the Resource Library for free. DCF is excited to be a part of and see the next phase of this innovative program that addresses the quality of and access to ECE programs in WI. This project was made possible in part by PDG funding provided through DCF. Phase 1 involved a comprehensive scan of ECE program policies and procedures related to health, safety, and well-being, and an analysis of gaps and inconsistencies affecting access to ECE programs, which led to the Child Care Health Consultation Needs Assessment. This new consultation service program addresses the needs identified in this report. << Back to PDG Partners page
