Child Health Week: October 13-19, 2008

Governor's Office of Children's Care Coordination

The Governor’s Office of Children’s Care Coordination was established by Governor Phil Bredesen in May 2004 to better coordinate the wide range of services available to children through state departments and the private sector, with an emphasis on the delivery of health care. It works to ensure that state departments are meeting the requirements of both state and federal law, and of various court orders relating to health care services for children. The office places a particular emphasis on children at risk of custody due to some health-related matter.

Other State of Tennessee Programs and Services

The State of Tennessee offers a variety of programs and services designed to protect the health and safety of its children. Click on any of the program names below for additional help and information.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Health

• Get Fit Tennessee
  Governor Bredesen created this initiative to address the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes in Tennessee. The Web site includes free tools such as a BMI calculator, food diary and health and fitness tracker to log activities. There is also information and links to programs specifically for children's health.
• Governor's Council on Physical Fitness
  This site offers age-appropriate recommendations on amounts of physical fitness activity, as well as information on different programs for various age groups.
• Immunization Program
  The Tennessee Immunization Program is responsible for promoting the proper use of all recommended vaccines, in collaboration with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners. Vaccines and immunization services are available through all county health departments in Tennessee and at more than 1,500 physicians’ offices. Doctors enrolled in the federal Vaccines for Children Program may give free, federally-funded vaccines to eligible children from birth through 18 years of age. Our Web site gives more information on this program, as well as a schedule of recommended vaccines and information on vaccines required by the state.
• 1 For All
  This initiative works to reduce infant mortality and ensure that every baby born in Tennessee reaches his or her first birthday. The Web site includes information for both adult women and teenage girls on healthy lifestyles before conception, care during pregnancy, and care of infants.
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
  Lead poisoning is considered to be the most serious environmental threat to children’s health. This Web site includes helpful tips for protecting your family from exposure to lead.
• Maternal and Child Health
  The Division of Maternal and Child Health collaborates with other state government departments, private health care providers and communities throughout Tennessee to assure that every child has a healthy start, a medical home, and the support to become a healthy adult. Services offered by this division include the Abstinence Education Program, Child and Adolescent Health, Child Care Resource Centers, Children's Special Services, and home visiting programs such as Healthy Start and HUGS. Information about each program is available on the Web site.
• Newborn Screening
  Tennessee has a comprehensive genetics program that provides access to genetic screening, diagnostic testing and counseling services for individuals and families who have, or are at risk for, genetic disorders. There is also a program for newborn hearing screening which allows for early diagnosis of hearing loss and appropriate follow up services.
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
  Food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services are provided to low-income women, infants and children under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC. This program provides nutritional education, health care referrals and supplemental foods through Tennessee's 95 county health departments. WIC also promotes breastfeeding, and offers breastfeeding mothers an enhanced food package, breast pumps and other support services.
• Oral Health Services
  Oral diseases are among the most prevalent health problems in Tennessee and affect a significant number of children and adolescents in every county. The statewide School-based Dental Prevention Program targets children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and provides health education as well as dental screenings, referrals and follow-up to dental providers to address unmet dental needs in this population. TDOH also offers dental clinics at some county health departments, as well as mobile clinics in three regions. We also provide the Cavity Free In Tennessee – Early Childhood Caries Prevention Program.
• Women’s Health
  Services for women and infants have long been a major component of the public health structure in Tennessee. Programs within the Women’s Health/Genetics Section include services for reproductive age women (family planning, prenatal care, perinatal regionalization, adolescent pregnancy prevention, and the office of women’s health), genetics and newborn screening, and newborn hearing screening.
• Other Health Links for Parents
  This page contains links to information on numerous Tennessee Department of Health programs for parents.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Education

• Coordinated School Health
  Coordinated school health encourages healthy lifestyles, provides needed supports to at-risk students, and helps to reduce the prevalence of health problems that impair academic success.
• Coordinated School Health is an effective system, consisting of eight major components, which is designed to connect health (physical, emotional and social) with education. This coordinated approach improves students' health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, communities and schools working together.
• Coordinated School Health components work together to improve the lives of students and their families. The eight components include: health education, physical education/physical activity, health services, nutrition services, health promotion for staff, counseling and psychological services, healthy school environment and student/parent/community involvement.
• School Nutrition Program
  The School Nutrition Program is responsible for the administration of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and Afterschool Snack Program. These programs provide nutritious meals and snacks for students in public and private schools and Residential and Child Care Institutions. In Tennessee, 100 percent of the public schools are on the National School Lunch Program.

Programs from Cover Tennessee

• CoverKids
  CoverKids is part of Cover Tennessee, Governor Phil Bredesen’s multi-pronged effort to extend health insurance to Tennessee’s uninsured.
• A family of four earning $53,000 a year or less may qualify for CoverKids. Once enrolled, these families pay no monthly premiums for coverage. Doctor visits range from $5 to $15, generic medications cost as little as $5 and there are no co-pays for immunizations, routine well-exams, labs or x-rays.
• Families above the household income limit can pay $225 a month for each child they want to enroll in CoverKids.
• CoverKids insurance does not have deductibles. Parents interested in signing their children up for CoverKids through the program’s online application can go to www.CoverTN.gov and click the CoverKids Apply Now button.
• Cover Tennessee’s other programs are: CoverTN, affordable, basic health insurance to small businesses, individuals and the self-employed; AccessTN, comprehensive health insurance for Tennesseans with uninsurable or chronic health care conditions; and CoverRx, a pharmacy assistance program providing uninsured Tennesseans access to affordable prescriptions.
• For more information on any of the Cover Tennessee programs, call 1-866-COVERTN.

Programs from the Bureau of TennCare

• Tennessee has made a commitment to promoting good health in children from birth until age 21. It's called the TENNderCARE program. TENNderCARE is a full program of check ups and health care services for children who have TennCare. These services make sure babies, children, teens and young adults receive the health care they need.

Programs from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

• Missing and Exploited Children
  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is the Tennessee Clearinghouse for Missing and Exploited Children. The TBI considers the disappearance of a minor child to be an investigative priority whether it is a result of unknown circumstances, a runaway incident, or a non-family abduction. Housed within the TBI's Criminal Intelligence Unit is the statewide AMBER Alert program and missing children program. Both provide the public with immediate and up-to-date information about a child abduction via widespread media broadcasts and solicit the public's help in the safe and swift return of the child.
• Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
  The Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (TADEC) is a statewide, multidisciplinary collaboration established to educate and support efforts to rescue, defend, shelter and protect Tennessee children who suffer physical and psychological harm caused by the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of illegal drugs, and the abuse of prescription drugs and alcohol. Drug endangered children suffer harm or neglect due to exposure to family members who abuse drugs or alcohol. Homes where family members are manufacturing drugs, misusing prescription medications or abusing alcohol create a dangerous environment for children to thrive and grow. People who are under the influence of drugs are unable to adequately care for children and put their lives at risk.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Children's Services

• DCS is responsible for the state's foster-care system and its juvenile justice program. DCS works with thousands of families every year – keeping kids safe, helping parents make the right decisions and working to put young people on the right path. In addition to the programs that DCS administers, it has a vast network of community partners who know how to help keep children safe, including groups such these.
• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
  Tennessee law requires anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect to notify the Department of Children’s Services. Call toll free 877-237-0004 or use our online form to contact DCS Central Intake where caseworkers are on the job around the clock. Those who want to know more about whether to report and how it works can visit this easy-to-use online training overview here.
• Adoption and Foster Care
  Want to foster or adopt a child in state custody? These young Tennesseans are among our most vulnerable citizens, and the Department of Children’s Services is always searching for nurturing homes where children can be safe and healthy. For those interested, here are two good places to start, the DCS Resource Parent program and the DCS Adoption Services page.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Human Services

• Child Care Licensing
  The Department of Human Services is responsible for licensing and assessing child care homes and centers across Tennessee. The agency approves program plans and implements and coordinates activities and programs that increase the quality, accessibility and availability of child care. Child Care Licensing is a regulatory function that ensures child-care centers and homes meet or exceed established standards for health, safety and child development. Child Care Licensing Program Evaluators make one annual evaluation visit to each licensed provider and approximately 19,000 unannounced visits to nearly 3,500 programs in the span of a year. Child Care Assessment staff utilize a quality measurement instrument to assess each licensed provider annually. These assessments help determine quality and establish the Star Quality rating for facilities.
• Child Support
  The Department of Human Services offers numerous services to parents or legal guardians trying to obtain financial and medical support for their child or children. Our child support staff can help you locate a missing parent, establish paternity, obtain or modify court orders and enforce those orders.

Programs from Meth Free Tennessee

• Youth Edition is a Learn and Serve America community-based grant program administered through Volunteer Tennessee. This program supports integration of service-learning in strong after-school programs to further statewide meth prevention initiatives by creating anti-meth communication products for youth by youth.

After-school participants begin work on the anti-meth service-learning activities by doing research in their local communities around meth issues. Many programs utilize resources and develop partnerships that are fueled by the support of Meth Free TN’s statewide partners. A few examples include partnerships with local Community Anti-Drug Coalitions, local District Attorney’s visiting after-school program sites to present anti-meth information, and local Lions Clubs used as demonstration sites for participants to showcase their projects.

After researching local meth issues, participants create and disseminate anti-meth communication products to peers and other community members to educate them on the dangerous effects of meth.

If you are interested in learning more about the Learn and Serve America Meth Free TN: Youth Edition program, obtaining a copy of the first or second annual Evaluation Report, seeing a copy of a particular program’s anti-meth communication product, or visiting a local program, please email Kimee Shideler or call 615-532-9415.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

• Tennessee Lives Count (TLC)
  The TLC Project has trained more than 14,000 “Gatekeepers" across the state to recognize the warning signs of suicide, and how to intervene and save a life. "Gatekeepers" are those who serve at-risk youth, including educators and other school personnel, youth group facilitators, parents involved in the foster home care system and/or the juvenile justice system, the staff of universities and hospitals, as well as any community organization in which youth/young adults are involved.
• Regional Intervention Program (RIP)
  Funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, RIP is designed for the early treatment of children with moderate to severe behavior disorders. This is a parent-implemented program supported by a small professional and paraprofessional staff in which parents serve as primary teachers and behavior change agents for their own child, and as daily operators of the overall program.
• Project B.A.S.I.C.
  Project B.A.S.I.C. is a school-based, mental health prevention/early intervention service. The focus of the project is to promote mental health in children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, as well as identification, assessment and referral of children with SED. For more information contact Louise Barnes at 615-253-5078.
• Renewal House
  Renewal House provides early intervention and prevention services to children at risk of serious emotional disturbances or substance abuse, who reside at Renewal House with their parent. Therapeutic services are also provided for children when evaluations deem such services appropriate.
• Jason Foundation/Project Tennessee
  Through the Jason Foundation, Project Tennessee is a curriculum geared toward educating teachers, students and parents about the signs of suicide and to give them the tools and resources needed to identify at-risk youth. Project Tennessee, in response to Tennessee’s statewide suicide prevention effort, works to provide students, teachers and parents the information they need to be educated and informed about this public health issue.
• Erase the Stigma
  Erase the Stigma is an awareness curriculum to promote understanding of mental illness and to reduce associated stigma. The program is child and youth focused and uses puppets, storytelling and other interactive exercises to accomplish this goal. One innovative training method is the ICHOPE, a puppet developed by the contract agency.
• Mental Health 101
  Mental Health 101, a program of the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, is a program that provides school-based outreach to middle school and high school students who have a parent with mental illness. A mental health wellness curriculum was developed and is taught statewide. In addition to the wellness curriculum, training and education or technical assistance is also provided to organizations and groups who request it.
• Peer Power
  Peer Power is a violence prevention program designed for youth in grades four and five. The focus of the program is to enhance resiliency and focus on improving empathy, impulse control, decision making skills and anger management. For more information contact Lygia Williams at 615-253-5078.
• Mule Town Family Network (MTFN)
  The goal of the MTFN System of Care grant is to provide a coordinated effort of state, county and local agencies for 440 children and youth from birth to 22 years and their families. These services use a wraparound model for children with SED and their families in Maury County. Please contact Susan Steckel at 615-253-8377 for more information.

Programs from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development

• Child Labor Laws
  For their safety and protection, teenagers are limited in the type of jobs they can do and the hours they can work.

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