Health Services

Health Services

Your child’s health is important to us, and good health is necessary for school readiness. CAP Tulsa tracks and monitors your child’s health milestones to ensure they are up-to-date and on track. We use the Ages and Stages Questionnaire as a screening tool and conduct screenings when children enter the program and according to a schedule. Our program requires that your child has an established medical and dental home for early intervention and well-child care.

Early Childhood Program Health Requirements

If you do not have an established medical and dental home, CAP Tulsa will work with you to find one.

Our program requires that EVERY child be current and remain up to date with the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Well Child Exam guidelines. A copy of all Well Child and dental visits and any follow-up associated with the health event is required to be turned in to complete your child's health record. EPSDT Well Child Exam Guidelines

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 12 months
• 15 months
• 18 months
• 24 months
• 30 months
• 36 months
• Every Year Thereafter

A current immunization record for your child is required. You will get a notification if your child’s immunization becomes past due. You will have 14 calendar days to present updated immunization information once you receive a notice. If immunizations are not provided, your child will be excluded from school until current immunization records are received. This is an Oklahoma State Department of Health regulation as well as a program requirement.

Per State of Oklahoma guidelines, children are required to have a dental exam at first tooth or by age one (whichever comes first). This can be accomplished with the child's pediatrician (if the child is under two years old) or with a dentist. A copy of the exam must be submitted to CAP Tulsa Health Services per program requirements. For children two and over, a dental exam from a qualified dental provider must be on file with CAP Tulsa Health Services.

Lead screenings must be conducted at ages 12 months and 24 months. If your child did not receive a screening at those times, your child must receive a screening before the age of five.

During enrollment, parents signed consent to allow CAP Tulsa’s Health Services Team to provide a lead screening which consists of a finger stick blood sample collection from your child’s finger. This screening will take place at school if we do not receive documentation of lead testing for your child.

One-time Hematocrit and Hemoglobin screenings (H&H) must occur between the ages of nine to 12 months. This can be done during your well-child exam or a Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) evaluation. This screening may take place at school if we do not receive documentation of H&H screening for your child.

Your child will receive sensory screenings (hearing and vision) by CAP Tulsa Early Childhood Program Staff within 45 days of enrollment.

We expect you to follow up with any medical or dental needs that arise and provide documentation to CAP Tulsa Early Childhood Program Staff.

If your child has a special health care need (Ex: asthma, eczema, seizures, etc.), a current action plan signed by their doctor must be on file with the school.

Medication and Administration of Medication

If your child requires prescribed or over-the-counter medication to be given while at school, please make sure to adhere to the following guidelines:

• All medication must be checked in with the school and cannot be placed in a child’s backpack.
• All medication must be packaged in the original container with proper information and instructions on the label.
• We will give over-the-counter medication with a doctor’s written order.
• We will give over-the-counter and/or prescription medication at school only when an agreement to give medication outside school hours cannot be made.
• You must start new medication at home.
• Medication cannot be used and will not be given beyond the expiration date on the container or beyond the date given by the doctor.
• Any unused or expired medication will be returned to you.
• If your child requires a rescue/emergency medication, such as an epi-pen or inhaler, the following applies:
  • You must submit an action plan detailing when and how to use the rescue/emergency medication.
  • Rescue/emergency medication must be kept in the classroom, at all times, while your child is at school.
  • Your child will not be able to attend school if they do not have the required rescue/emergency medication and action plan.

If you have questions about the administration of prescribed or over-the-counter medication during school hours, please talk with your School Leader or Teacher.

Illness, Injury, or Incident

When your child has a sore throat, earache, stomachache, fever, or any suspected contagious illness, they should not come to school. This will help your child regain their health quicker and will protect other children in the program. If your child is going to be absent, please notify the school as soon as you can so we can record the absence. If you do not call the school by 9:00 a.m. about your child’s absence, an FSS or our automated calling system will contact you to follow up.

If your child becomes ill while at school, we will care for them and supervise them in a room other than the classroom to maintain the health and safety of the other children and to minimize the spread of any contagious illness. While at school, if your child has a fever of 101 degrees or higher with another sign or symptom of illness, such as extreme lethargy, irritability, diarrhea, vomiting, undiagnosed body rash or pox (list is not meant to include all possible signs or symptoms), we will contact you immediately to pick up your child from school. If we cannot reach you, we will call your emergency contact(s) to locate someone on the pickup list who is authorized to pick up your child. For the protection of all, children with symptoms of an infectious illness (diarrhea, vomiting, or fever) must be symptom-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning to school.

If a life-threatening emergency, injury, or incident involving your child occurs, we will call 911 to transport your child to the nearest hospital and notify you. A teacher will also complete an injury report within 24 hours of the incident. If we cannot reach you, we will notify your emergency contact(s). You must update your child’s electronic file with school staff when there is a change in your address, phone number, or emergency contacts.

SoonerCare/SNAP/WIC

Medical insurance through SoonerCare and supplemental food may be available to your child at no cost. SoonerCare is Oklahoma’s health insurance program for children and eligible adults. This program is offered through the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits serve as the first line of defense against hunger by providing low-income families the opportunity to buy nutritious food in authorized retail food stores and Farmers’ Markets. WIC is another supplemental nutrition program that contributes to healthy pregnancies, healthy babies, and healthy children. For more information or assistance with enrollment, contact your FSS.

Behavioral Health Services

As a parent, you want what is best for your child, but it is not always easy to know what type of support they need. Our Early Childhood Therapists (ECT) can provide help to your family in a variety of ways, ranging from strengthening social skills and developing self-control to solving problems on their own and improving the parent/child relationship.

The role of the ECT at your school is to provide support to any child, caregiver, family member, or staff member. ECT can assist in situations when:

• You or your child’s teacher have concerns about your child’s emotions, social skills, behaviors, or general development in the classroom or at home
• Your family is experiencing a big change, such as a new baby, unemployment, moving, new marriage, divorce, death of a loved one, incarceration, car accident, house fire, community, or domestic violence
• You feel stressed or overwhelmed and need to talk, or are interested in seeking counseling services for yourself or your child
• You have regular parenting questions about discipline, toilet training, sibling rivalry, sleep concerns for you or your child, temper tantrums, or other areas of social-emotional development

Services provided by the ECT at your school may include classroom presentations, consultation, observation, and follow-up with parents and teachers when concerns are identified for specific children. Counseling for children is also available at your child’s school. For more information about Behavioral Health Services, contact your school’s ECT or FSS.

Inclusion Services

CAP Tulsa’s Early Childhood Education Programs provide children with learning experiences that address all developmental areas. The Inclusion Services Team provides support for children with developmental delays, along with their families and teachers, and works with children in inclusive learning environments with activities designed for their developmental levels. This encourages them to learn from each other as they strengthen their skills.

Any child enrolled in our school-based early childhood education program with a supporting Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) from SoonerStart or an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) from the public school, will have a member of the Inclusion Services Team assigned to help their teachers provide individualized learning and support at their school.

What is a Developmental Delay?

All children are unique and grow at their own pace. A child with a developmental delay may need extra help as they grow when compared to children their age. A child can experience a delay in the following areas:

• physical development (fine motor skills, gross motor skills)
• cognitive development (thinking abilities)
• communication development (speech and language)
• social or emotional development (social skills and emotional control)
• adaptive or self-care skills

What is Early Intervention?

Early intervention is a system of services that helps infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. In every state, very young children can get early intervention help to meet developmental milestones through a wide range of services.

Because children grow and change at their own pace, it may not always be easy to determine when a child needs early intervention. Addressing a developmental concern early is key for a child to overcome the delays or to learn the appropriate skills despite the presence of a developmental delay.

If you suspect your child is not meeting developmental milestones in any of the areas listed above, your child may need to receive an evaluation by a professional to determine any delays in their development.

How to Evaluate a Child?

Teachers will screen your child in the five previously stated areas while they attend CAP Tulsa. Teachers will make a referral to the Inclusion Services Specialists at CAP Tulsa if there is a concern. An early intervention agency or public school district will receive the referral for evaluation consideration. Pediatricians, psychologists, and child development specialists can also conduct screenings and evaluations.

Referrals for children under the age of three are submitted to Oklahoma’s statewide early intervention provider, SoonerStart. Referrals for children over the age of three are submitted to the local public school district where they live. Parents should share the evaluation results with the school to discuss how this might affect the child’s learning and educational outcomes.

To schedule a free evaluation for your child, contact the following:

• SoonerStart of Tulsa County
  For children under age 3
  918-835-8691
• Public School District Special Education Departments
  For children ages 3 and up
  

  Sand Springs Public: 918-246-1426
  Tulsa Public Schools: 918-746-6391
  Union Public Schools: 918-357-4321
  Jenks Public Schools: 918-299-4415
  Broken Arrow Public Schools: 918-259-5700

Family Handbook Table of Contents

• Agency Overview
• Family Engagement
• Attendance
• General Program Guidelines
• Teaching & Learning
• Nutrition Services
• Health Services
• Learning@Home