Leaders from across the state in early childhood health, education and child welfare launched the NC Early Childhood Action Plan at a summit on Feb. 27 in Raleigh. The plan includes 10 statewide goals around early childhood health, development, and learning.

• Goal 1: Healthy Babies
• Goal 2: Preventive Health Services
• Goal 3: Food Security
• Goal 4: Safe and Secure Housing
• Goal 5: Safe and Nurturing Relationships
• Goal 6: Permanent Families for Children in Foster Care
• Goal 7: Social-Emotional Health and Resilience
• Goal 8: High-Quality Early Learning
• Goal 9: On Track for School Success
• Goal 10: Reading at Grade Level

The Winter 2019 E-News includes:

• Updates from the NC Resource Center, Tooth Development, Oral Health Screening, Oral Health Best Practices in the Classroom, Winter… the Perfect Time for Outdoor Play! and a calendar for the next three months.

Congratulations to Chatham Child Care Health Consultant, Dorothy Rawleigh! She received the Public Health Staff Recognition Award through the NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation’s 2018 Child Health Recognition Awards program. The award was presented at the NC Public Health Association conference in December 2018. This award recognizes her work on developing partnerships resulting in healthier food, higher immunization rates, and better emergency preparedness planning in child care facilities.

Additionally, the Chatham County Public Health Department Immunization Program was recognized with a NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Child Health Recognition Award. Chatham County regularly ranks number one in the state in immunization rates among children ages 0 to 36 months. The Chatham County Health Department achieved this by blending policy changes, training, tracking, feedback gathering, and follow-up with child care facilities.

The Fall 2018 E-Newsletter includes: Updates from the Resource Center, Speech and Language Development, Hearing Screening, Hearing Impairment and Loss, Noise Safety and Young Children, Yum, Yum, Root Veggies!, and a calendar of the next three months.