Pediatric & Family Health Research and Resources

Implementing a Children's Healthcare Access Program (CHAP) - A Community Toolkit
The purpose of this toolkit is to guide comunities in their eforts to implement Children’s Healthcare Aces Programs (CHAP) and pediatric medical homes. The intended audience is CHAP programanagers, medical directors and other staff who are responsible for program implementation. The toolkit is also intended for Great Start Colaboratives who are interested in assessing whether the model is appropriate for their communities.

States and the New Federal Home Visiting Initiative:An Assessment from the Starting Line
Source: Pew Center on the States
Overview: The first months and years of a child’s life are a time of critical cognitive, social and emotional development that builds the foundation for future success. Infantsand toddlers who receive the love, care and stimulation they require during this period thrive. But when parents lack the knowledge or resources to meet the needs of their babies, the resulting damage can be grave and lasting. In fact, many of a state’s costliest social problems—such as poor infant and maternal health, child abuse and neglect, school failure, poverty and crime—are rooted in this same crucial early period.

The State of America's Children 2011
Author: Children's Defense Fund
Overview: CDF’s new report The State of America's Children 2011 finds children have fallen further behind in many of the leading indicators over the past year as the country slowly climbs out of the recession. This is a comprehensive compilation and analysis of the most recent and reliable national and state-by-state data on population, poverty, family structure, family income, health, nutrition, early childhood development, education, child welfare, juvenile justice, and gun violence.

Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function
Source: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
Overview: As essential as they are, we aren’t born with the skills that enable us to control impulses, make plans, and stay focused. We are born with the potential to develop these capacities—ornot—depending on our experiences during infancy, throughout childhood, and into adolescence.

Overview of Childhood Obesity in Michigan, 2010
Author: University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Overview: Michigan ranks 26th in overall prevalence among the states, with 30.6% of children defined as either overweight or obese in 2009.Between 1998 and 2000, the last years for which a comprehensive estimate was available, obesity cost $2.9 billion in Michigan, including more than $1.6 billion in direct costs to Medicare and Medicaid.

The National Children's Health Study
Author: National Children’s Study is led by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with a consortium of federal government partners. Study partners include the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Overview: Examines the effects of environmental influences on the health and development of more than 100,000 children across the United States, following them from before birth until age 21. The goal of the study is to improve the health and well-being of children. The National Children's Study will be one of the richest information resources available for answering questions related to children's health and development and will form the basis of child health guidance, interventions, and policy for generations to come. It is anticipated that the preliminary results from the first years of the study will be available in 2010.

America’s Health Starts with Healthy Children: How do States Compare? 
Author: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008

Covering Kids & Families Access Initiative, 2008
Author: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Overview: Evaluation found that although gains in coverage were made, it has become increasingly apparent that having health insurance does not in itself assure access to needed health care.

Early Influences on Brain Architecture
Author: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Harvard University, Harvard University

The Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do
Author: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Harvard University

Unrealized Health Potential: A Snapshot of Michigan, Gaps in Children’s General Health Status, Gaps in Infant Mortality & Social Factors Affecting Children’s Health
Author: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, October 2008

Issue Brief: Early Childhood Health Problems and Prevention Strategies: Costs and Benefits
Author: The Partnership for America's Economic Success