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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 1, 2005 <br />Action Agen-la <br />Item No. 9 -G <br />SUBJECT: Child Health Care Consultant Proiect Funded by Smart Start <br />DEPARTMENT: Health <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Project Proposal <br />Award Letter from OCPYC <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To accept funds for the Child Health Care Consultant Project, authorize project <br />implementation and approve a new Public Health Nurse position funded by non-County <br />sources. <br />BACKGROUND: From 1994-2004, the Orange County Partnership for Young Children <br />(OCPYC) funded the "Child Care SHAPE Up Project" through Piedmont Health Services that <br />provided a nurse consultant to child care providers for services to children and the staff of the <br />centers. Over the last five years, decreases in State funding resulted in cuts to the program <br />that did not allow for a full-time nurse to be supported by the project funds. Piedmont Health <br />Services declined to continue the project for the 2004-05 grant year. <br />The OCPYC Board of Directors asked that the staff of the Partnership conduct an assessment <br />with the child care community regarding the continuing need and value of these services prior to <br />resubmission of a request for proposal (RFP) to the community. The assessment was <br />completed in late fall of 2004 and the OCPYC Board authorized an RFP to be issued for an <br />initial 6 month proposal for the remainder of this fiscal year with an anticipated one year renewal <br />for the following fiscal year (05-06) dependent on State budget allocations. <br />The Orange County Health Department submitted a proposal (Attachment 1) to the OCPYC for <br />the 18 month period beginning .January, 2005. The purpose of the project is to provide Child <br />Care Health Consultant services to promote healthy and safe environments for young children <br />in licensed child care centers and homes in Orange County. Providing these services in <br />licensed child care centers and homes helps assure that children who start school have <br />received appropriate health care and are well and ready to learn. A Public Health Nurse will <br />make available to child care providers a range of services that includes: <br />• policy development assistance to address health and safety issues <br />• review emergency care plans and provide technical assistance for special medical need <br />children