Sanford Children’s is committed to the health and welfare of children. As the community outreach arm of Sanford Children’s, CHILD Services’ staff is able to connect the many resources of Sanford Children’s and the community together to meet the needs of children and families. Through services and information, trained staff are available to assist parents, child care providers and early childhood teachers in obtaining information on children’s health topics. To access services contact us at (605) 333-0698 email childsrv@sanfordhealth.org |
South Dakota’s State Division of Child Care Services and Sanford Children’s CHILD Services have been providing vision and hearing screenings for children, ages 3-5, at child care facilities since 1994. This project was started to help ensure that young children’s could see and hear in order to promote their early learning experiences. In recognition of the high percentage of working mothers with children under five in South Dakota, for family convenience, early learning screenings are provided on-site at child care facilities.
Children under five learn through their senses, with vision accounting for 80% of that learning. It is imperative that children with hearing and vision issues receive intervention as soon as possible so the learning process is not disrupted or harmed due to improper sensory input. Children that have vision and/or hearing problems are at risk for learning delays, developmental delays and behavioral problems. This service works to minimize these risks for young children and impacts our community by helping to ensure learning in the early years so children are prepared to learn during the K-12 years.
The purpose of this service is to screen children’s vision and hearing abilities to determine if there is a need for children to have further assessment. This service is not for the purpose of diagnosing vision and hearing problems. If the screening indicates a need for further assessment parents receive referral information that will help them determine the need for further follow up services.
Child care providers of preschool age children can schedule screenings by calling 605-333-0698 or email childsrv@sanfordhealth.org.
7/28/2008