Health

Child Health and Developmental Services

Head Start’s commitment to wellness embraces a comprehensive vision of health for children, families and staff. Our objective is to ensure that, through collaboration among families, staff, and health professionals, all child health and developmental concerns are identified, and children and families are linked to an ongoing source of continuous, accessible care to meet their basic health needs.

The Ronald MacDonald Care Mobile is a very important resource for our families who find it difficult to find a Dentist near them.

Child Health & Safety

Head Start’s commitment to wellness embraces a comprehensive vision of health for children, families, and staff. Our objective is to support healthy physical development by encouraging practices that prevent illness or injury and by promoting positive, culturally relevant health behaviors that enhance life-long well-being.

Child Health & Nutrition

Our objective is to promote child wellness by providing nutrition services that supplement and complement those of the home and community. Head Start’s child nutrition services assists families in meeting each child’s nutrition needs and in establishing good eating habits that nurture healthy development and promote life-long well-being.

Health Screenings

45 Day Requirements are as follows: Each Badlands Head Start: Prenatal to Five child must have a vision screening, a hearing screening, A developmental screening and a social-emotional screening. Badlands Head Start: Prenatal to Five staff are able to complete these screenings.

90 Day Requirements are as follows: Each Badlands Head Start: Prenatal to Five child must have a documented completion of and/or obtained from a health care professional a physical exam, lead test which are required at age 1 and 2 or if one has not been completed by children older than 2. If you have proof a lead test was completed at age two or above, the requirement has been met, and a dental exam for all children above the age of 1.

Health Services Advisory Committee (HSAC)

This committee meets two times each year and on an as-needed basis to plan and review the health and nutrition program policies and procedures of our Head Start and Early Head Start programs. HSAC also reviews health stats of Badlands Head Start: Prenatal to Five. This meeting is facilitated by the Health, Nutrition & Safety Specialist. Many health care professionals and parents from the community are members of this committee.

My son came into Head Start Center needing to bring in his blanket and bunny stuffed animal for security. He made steady progress towards not needing these anymore and the teachers were just as proud as I was!”

- Ashley F., Badlands Head Start Parent , Belle Fourche, SD