What Services Does CHDP Offer?
Through the CHDP Program, children and youth can obtain regular preventive health assessments to identify any health problems. An assessment includes a full review of the child's medical and developmental history with screening of certain medical items, including all childhood immunizations. Those with suspected problems are then referred for necessary diagnosis and treatment. Many problems can be prevented, corrected, or the severity reduced by prompt diagnosis and treatment. The earlier they are found, the more easily they can be treated or corrected.

CHDP works with a wide range of persons and organizations to see that eligible children and youth receive health services: private physicians, health departments, schools, nurse practitioners, dentists, health educators, nutritionists, community clinics, nonprofit health agencies, social and community service agencies. The services provided are bicultural and bilingual. The program also refers eligible children on to other health insurance plans such as Healthy Families, Medi-Cal, Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County and California Kids (for Monterey County residents only).

Medi-Cal Eligible Children and Youth
CHDP provides periodic preventive health services to Medi-Cal beneficiaries under the regulations of the federal EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment) Program. All California Medi-Cal recipients from birth to age 21 are eligible for health assessments based on the following schedule:

Non-Medi-Cal Eligible Children and Youth.
CHDP provides periodic preventive health services to non-Medi-Cal eligible children and youth from birth to age 19 from low-income families. They are eligible for health assessments based on the same schedule as Medi-Cal eligible children and youth.

Early Head Start, Head Start, Migrant Head Start and State Preschool
Children in Head Start (Early Head Start and Migrant Head Start) and State Preschool (who meets income edibility) programs are eligible for regular health assessments while in these programs (generally ages 3-5). Head Start Web Site

CHDP Program Services:

• Health Assessments
  CHDP offers a full range of health assessment services including:

  • Health and developmental history

  • Physical examination

  • Nutritional assessment

  • Immunizations

  • Vision testing

  • Hearing testing

  • Lead testing

  • Some laboratory tests (e.g., Mantoux (Tuberculin), sickle cell, urinalysis, hemoglobin/hematocrit, Pap smears)

  • Health education and anticipatory guidance, such as age appropriate safety awareness.

  CHDP health assessments are provided by private physicians, county health departments, clinics, and some local school districts. CHDP encourages private provider participation.
  
  

• Dental Services
  Services also include annual preventive dental care for Medi-Cal-eligible children three years of age and over by participating dentists.
  
  

• Case Management
  In addition to health assessment services, the CHDP Program will assist families in obtaining diagnostic and treatment services. The CHDP program will help local physicians access needed services for their CHDP patients.

CHDP School Requirements
By law, all children entering the first grade are required to have either a certificate of a CHDP health examination, CHDP equivalent examination, or a waiver on file at the school in which they enroll. The CHDP Program works with the Department of Education in administering and monitoring this requirement and assists low and moderate income children to meet the requirement by providing them with state-paid health assessments. Providers may request a supply of certificates from their local CHDP Program.

CHDP Program Organization
Every local health department in the State of California has a Child Health and Disability Prevention Program. These local CHDP programs administer the program on a day-to-day basis. They are responsible for Provider recruitment, client outreach, community education, case management, and implementation of state and federal regulations pertaining to the Program. State administrative offices are located in Sacramento in the State Departnent of Health Services.

Click here for contact information