The Child Development Branch is required, by KRS 211.689-.690, to provide early childhood initiatives such as home visitation (Health Access Nurturing Development Services [HANDS]), childcare health consultation, early childhood mental health services for children, Kentucky Strengthening Families, and Help Me Grow. HANDS is a voluntary statewide home visitation program designed to assist overburdened parents during the prenatal period until the child's third birthday. Home visitation services include education and information on prenatal and postnatal health, early brain development, family self-sufficiency, home safety, and parent-child interactive curriculum activities.
The Early Intervention Branch administers the Kentucky Early Intervention System (KEIS), within the Child Development Branch, referred to as First Steps. The Branch provides case management and coordination of services for infants and toddlers between birth and three years of age with developmental disabilities or developmental delays. These early intervention services include services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, hearing and vision services, and other services as needed to meet the child's developmental needs. KEIS services are provided in the home or other community settings. Families and other interested parties access the KEIS program locally through 15 points of entry covering the state. Children served by KEIS transition at age three to the local education agency or other community supports.
The Clinical Support Services Branch provides oversight to services and activities including prenatal care, childhood lead poisoning prevention, maternal mortality review, and coordinated school health. The Newborn Screening Follow-up and Metabolic Nutritional Support programs identify children in Kentucky who are at risk for serious medical conditions and developmental delays, and works closely with the Birth Surveillance Registry.
The Population Health Branch provides oversight to services and activities including child and adolescent preventative health, child fatality review and injury prevention. In addition, this branch houses the division's infant mortality efforts, including the safe sleep campaign and the division's population health efforts of the Title V Block Grant that are executed through the Local Health Department system in all 120 counties.
The Nutrition Services Branch administers the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Clinical Nutrition Services, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program; and the WIC Farmer's Market Nutrition Program. The Women, Infants and Children program is funded wholly by the US Department of Agriculture and provides food packages and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and children at nutritional risk, and sets standards for nutrition services. Nutritionists in local health departments provide medical nutrition therapy and follow-up nutrition care for mothers and children with special nutrition needs.
The base budget includes $750,000 from the General Fund in each fiscal year for the Kentucky Poison Control Center.
The base budget each year includes Tobacco Settlement Funds in the amount of $700,000 for the Healthy Start initiatives, $700,000 for Early Childhood Mental Health, and $5,980,000 in each fiscal year for the Health Access Nurturing Development Services Program.