The “point of entry” for all the Children With Special Needs programs. Children 1st was established by the Georgia Department of Public Health to ensure early identification of children considered to be at high risk for poor health and/or development and to connect them to a primary health care provider.
Children with a broad range of risk conditions are identified and linked with primary health care providers and other community resources giving them access to comprehensive health assessments, developmental monitoring, and referral to appropriate services.
Children ages 0-21 that have established medical conditions or biological/ environmental risk factors are eligible for enrollment. Children 1st identifies and screens children to determine their eligibility for or link children to BCW, CMS, EHDI, and other public health programs and services. Children 1st staff provide in- home assessments and general health care information. The program is free to those who choose to participate.
Child Health Referral Form (NEW!)
We are excited to share that the new Child Health Referral Form (an updated version of the previous Children 1st Referral Form) is live! It’s available in English and Spanish by clicking on the links. The form is also available on the Georgia DPH website at https://dph.georgia.gov/children1st.
