Services

• Assessing child and adolescent health
• Identifying resources
• Informing the public about child and adolescent health issues
• Assisting policy makers
• Supporting private and public health care providers
• Developing programs and information systems
• Providing clinical consultation and educational activities on selected topics
• Developing and distributing guidelines and educational materials
• Short- and long-term tracking and follow up
• Providing data and statistics on child and adolescent health issues

Programs

Adolescent Health:
VDH's goal is to promote the health and well being of adolescents. Through various program and initiatives that emphasize youth assets, making good choices, and practicing healthy behaviors.

Child Development Services (CDC) Program:
The program seeks to assure the availability and accessibility of comprehensive development services to children and adolescents through a network of eleven child development clinics.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention:
The goal of the program is to eradicate this condition among children aged six months to five years in Virginia. Technical assistance is provided statewide in the areas of medical and environmental assessments, provider training, public education and coalition building, with high-risk communities receiving grant funds.

Children with Special Health Care Needs Program:
The goal of the program is to promote the optimal health and development of Virginia's children with special health care needs by working in partnership with families/ service providers, and communities. The program provides care coordination through six centers of excellence known as Care Connection for Children.

Genetics and Newborn Screening:
The Genetics and Newborn Screening Program is part of a statewide system to reduce unnecessary morbidity from potential or existing genetic conditions by assuring access to the appropriate education, testing, counseling, and treatment for residents of the Commonwealth. Program components include Virginia Newborn Screening Services, Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention, Virginia Congenital Anomalies Reporting and Education System (VaCARES, the birth defects registry), Regional Genetic and Metabolic Centers, and and approved audiological testing facilities.

Healthy Child Care Virginia:
The goal of the program is to promote the healthy development of all children in child care, including those with special health needs, and increase access to preventive health services and safe physical environments for children. A network of trained child care health consultants offer expert advise to child care providers on a variety of topics.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention:

All newborns in Virginia should be screened for hearing loss shortly after birth

The goal of the Virginia Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program is to identify congenital hearing loss in children by three months of age and to assure enrollment in appropriate intervention by six months of age.

Newborn Screening Services:
All newborns in Virginia are also screened for a series of heritable disorders. The Virginia Newborn Screening Services staff follow up on abnormal results so that infants are re-tested and, if necessary, referred for ongoing treatment by six months of age.

Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA):
Part C Early Intervention is a statewide, interagency system of services to ensure that eligible infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities, ages zero to three, and their families receive appropriate early intervention services. Virginia Department of Health staff participates on the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council for Part C, as well as local planning teams  Staff work closely with Part C to coordinate services for young children with special needs.

School Age Health:
The goal of the School Age Health efforts is to initiate, influence, and support activities that improve the health of school-age children and youth in the Commonwealth. The state school age health  specialist, in collaboration with the Department of Education, assists localities in establishing and enhancing school health programs.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention:
This program supports seven localities in efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy and to promote healthy adolescent behaviors.

VaCARES:
The birth defects registry collects data on children under the age of two who have been identified with a confirmed birth defect. The data help support research on birth defects incidence and prevention. Educational resources are made available to parents of identified children to help them understand their child’s condition and how to respond to it.

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