Child Care Health Consultant

What is a Child Care Health Consultant (C.C.H.C.)?

CCHCs are trained health professionals with education and experience in both child and community health who also have specific training in early care and education and childcare health consultation. The role of a CCHC is to work with programs to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate strategies to achieve high quality, safe, and healthy childcare environments.

Making a Difference!

Studies have confirmed that CCHCs improve the health and safety of children in early care and education programs by:

• Increasing staff knowledge of health issues in childcare settings

• Increasing compliance with health and safety best practice standards

• Improving the quality of health and safety policies and practices, including handwashing, sanitation, and safe sleep practices

• Increasing the number of children who receive oral, developmental, vision, hearing screenings and assessments

• Improve children’s access to a medical home, enrollment in insurance, and up-to-date immunization status

• Strengthening environmental health practices

• Promoting the inclusion of children with special health care needs

When should I contact my CCHC?

When your childcare facility has health and safety questions or concerns such as:

Trainings – Stay Healthy, Stay Clean; Medication in Child Care; Medication Administration Skills; IT’S- SIDS; CCDF Health & Safety; EPR; and Children with Special Healthcare Needs (Seizures; Diabetes; Enteral Feedings; Allergies, Anaphylaxis, and Emergency Treatment)
Addressing a child’s health condition
Technical Assistance & Coaching
Writing or reviewing polices and procedures
Assisting programs with quality improvement strategies
Observing health and safety practices & helping programs prevent illness and injuries
Immunization Records

Additional Resources

Communicable Disease & Exclusions from Child Care
https://healthychildcare.unc.edu/resources/reference/communicable-diseases-and-exclusion-from-child-care/

Henderson County, Communicable Disease Nurse
https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/health/page/communicable-disease

North Carolina Child Care Health & Safety Resource Center https://healthychildcare.unc.edu/

Oral Health

Brushing is Fun, Start by Age One! (BIF1)
This training combines early oral health best practices and sanitation guidelines giving early care and education programs the information they need to establish a toothbrushing routine in the classroom. Appropriate target audiences include child care providers, administrators, caregivers, educators, and staff. For training please visit this link https://toothtalk.org/training-courses/

Calling All Smile Crusaders
This training provides evidence-based oral health best practices to childcare providers and other supporting partners that may not wish to implement a toothbrushing program, but who can influence the oral health of young children by providing education and best practices for preventing caries. Appropriate target audiences include child care providers, WIC staff, and other community partners who serve or influence young children. For training please visit this link https://toothtalk.org/training-courses/

For more information,
please contact:

Patricia Lee

RN, Child Care Health Consultant

(828) 698-0674 ext. 173

[email protected]

SmartStart of Henderson County partially funds this program.