West Virginia

Right From The Start Program

Links - Infant/Child Resources

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West Virginia’s Adolescent Health Initiative is a project developed and coordinated by the Infant, Child and Adolescent Health Division, Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health, Bureau for Public Health, Department of Health and Human Resources.

WV Birth to Three is a statewide system of services and supports for children under age three who have a delay in their development, or may be at risk of having a delay, and their family. The Department of Health and Human Resources, through the Bureau for Public Health and the Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health, WV Birth to Three, as the lead agency for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), assures that family centered, community based services are available to all eligible children and families.

The identification of infants who are at greatest risk for health and developmental problems, and ensuring that these children have access to appropriate health and special care systems, are ongoing concerns for state health officials. In this regard, the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health and the West Virginia University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics have worked collaboratively to develop the Birth Score-Developmental Risk Screen and Newborn Hearing Screen initiatives. This partnership has not only expanded the state’s capacity to meet its federally required "child find" responsibilities, but it has also made a significant contribution to the reduction of mortality among West Virginia infants who are one month to one year of age.

The Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health, Bureau for Public Health has within its realm of services a program dedicated to Birth Defects Surveillance. The CARESS Program stands for Congenital Abnormalities Registry, Education and Surveillance System. Currently the program collects data from the birthing facilities within the state to study the rates and trends of birth defects to aid in determining possible causes.

Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) is the program in the Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health (OMCFH) responsible for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of children with chronic, disabling medical conditions. Funding for the program is provided by the state and federal governments.

Early Childhood Health Project (ECHP) is supported by the Maternal & Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The organizational home of ECHP is the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources (DHHR)/Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health/Division of Infant, Child and Adolescent Health/Early Childhood Health Project.

HealthCheck is the name of West Virginia's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program (E.P.S.D.T.). It is a mandated Medicaid Program enacted in 1967 to ensure that Medicaid-eligible children under age 21 receive a comprehensive range of preventive and primary health services.

This program provides periodic, comprehensive health examinations; vision, dental and hearing assessments; immunizations; and treatment follow-up of conditions found through the health examination.

The goal of the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM - pronounced "en-cham") at Utah State University is to ensure that all infants (newborns) and toddlers with hearing loss are identified as early as possible and provided with timely and appropriate audiological, educational, and medical intervention. Learn more about us.

The West Virginia Children’s Health Insurance Program (WVCHIP) is a low cost health care plan for children and teenagers of working families.