Children with Special Health Care Needs Program

Current Collaborative CSHCN Activities

Child Care

CSHCN & School Services

DSHS Disability Determination & Social Security Administration

DSHS Health and Recovery Services Administration – Medicaid

DSHS Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program

Folic Acid & Birth Defects Prevention

WIC

WorkFirst

CSHCN & Child Care

The CSHCN Program is involved in activities that help parents, child care providers and others learn about including children with special health care needs in child care settings.  Local health departments have child care health consultants who work with families, child care providers, and child care resource and referral programs to help find child care for children with special health care needs.  

CSHCN & School Services

The CSHCN Program partners with Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); Family Educator Partnership Program (FEPP); and family support organizations such as Parent to Parent, Fathers Network, and Family Voices to promote more coordination between schools and children with special health care needs and to help locate resources that are available.   

DSHS Disability Determination Services and Social Security Administration

A Memorandum of Agreement is maintained between the CSHCN Program and Disability Determination Services (DDS), the agency that reviews Supplemental Security Income applications for disability. Outreach to families of SSI applicants up to age 16 is promoted through this agreement. The CSHCN Program maintains ongoing communication with local and regional Social Security Administration (SSA) offices in order to provide current information about SSI to providers and families and to provide SSA offices with information about community connections and resources for families.

DSHS Health and Recovery Services Administration - Medicaid

The CSHCN Program collaborates with the state Health and Recovery Services Administration (HRSA), formally known as Medical Assistance Administration in the Department of Social and Health Services, which operates the Medicaid Program.  The Medicaid Program in Washington provides extensive coverage for medical services for income eligible children with special health care needs, including those in managed care and on Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 

DSHS Division of Developmental Disabilities’ Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program (ITEIP)

The CSHCN Program is an active participant in coordinating efforts to implement Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  The CSHCN Program works proactively with state and local partners to assure a comprehensive statewide system of early intervention services for eligible infants and toddlers (birth to three years) with disabilities and their families. Lead Family Resources Coordinators can link children to early intervention services in their home communities.

Folic Acid & Birth Defects Prevention

The CSHCN Program uses public health messages to promote the consumption of folic acid by women of child-bearing age to prevent birth defects.  All women who could possibly become pregnant should consume 400 micrograms (or 0.4mg) of folic acid (an essential B vitamin) every day before pregnancy.  Folic acid can be found in certain healthy foods, enriched grain products and multivitamin pills.  Health care providers have more information or contact:

• March of Dimes at 1-888-MODIMES 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 1-888-232-6789 or Flo@cdc.gov

WIC

The CSHCN Program collaborates with the Washington State Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to:

• improve referrals between CSHCN and WIC;
• coordinate coverage for special formulas for children covered by Medicaid and WIC;
• provide training and resources for WIC nutritionists.

CSHCN & WorkFirst  

Parents who are receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are expected to participate in the WorkFirst Program, which is Washington State's welfare reform program.  Parents who have children with special needs have an opportunity through the WorkFirst-Public Health, Children with Special Needs Initiative to have a public health nurse visit them.  Nurses do an assessment of how the child's condition impacts the parent's ability to work and determine if a return to work is possible. CSHCN Coordinators in each local health jurisdiction may be contacted for more information about this initiative.

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