| Children 1st |
| Services |
| Resources |
Services
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Referral Review: Children 1st coordinators receive referrals with identified risk factors. Based on the risk factors, coordinators determine if the child should be linked directly to an early intervention program. If further information is needed to determine the needs of the child, the coordinator will contact the family to set up a screening.
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Screening: The Ages and Stages Questionnaire is completed by parents, with the help of a Children 1st coordinator if needed, within 10 to 15 minutes. The responses to this questionnaire helps Children 1st coordinators determine what intervention program, or community resource, will best benefit the child.
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Family Assessment: The strengths and needs of the family are screened with the Department of Public Health’s Maternal Child Health Assessment. Results of this screening help Children 1st coordinators determine what resources will best assist the family.
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Resource Linkage: Based on the needs identified through the screenings, children and families are linked to early intervention programs and community resources and services that will best help them thrive.
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Monitoring: Children who do not meet the minimum criteria for early intervention programs, will be linked to a primary care physician and monitored by Children 1st coordinators.
Eligibility
Children 1st is a completely inclusive public health process available to all of Georgia’s children, birth to five years old, and their families.
What is the cost?
There is no cost to families to participate in the Children 1st program. It is open to all children, birth through five years old, across the State of Georgia.
Developmental Guides
Developmental milestones help families and care providers determine if a child is growing and developing at an appropriate pace for his or her age. The following tools, published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” can be used as a guide for parents and providers to gauge a child’s development.
Developmental Milestones:
| 2 months | 18 months |
| 4 months | 2 years |
| 6 months | 3 years |
| 9 months | 4 years |
| 1 year | 5 years |
Autism
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for developmental delay and disabilities at 9, 18, and 24 or 30 months; children should be screened specifically for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at 18 and 24 months.
CLICK HERE to learn more about autism initiatives through the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Page last update 05/16/16