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State Children’s Health Insurance Program

Phase 1 Effective Date: April 1, 1998

Revised: 1/26/98, 2/19/98, 3/3/98, 3/6/98 Phase 2 Effective Date: July 1, 1998

Revised: 8/20/98, 8/24/98, 10/1/99, 7/28/00, 1/31/01, 7/02/02, 7/22/02, 1/3/03, 2/13/04, 9/27/04, 11/15/04, 8/11/05, 10/1/06, 7/1/09, 7/1/10, 7/1/11, 7/1/12 22 education. Families under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level receive these services at no cost. Others pay on a sliding scale. • The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods to supplement the regular diet of pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants and children under age five who are at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level and who meet nutritional/medical risk criteria for eligibility. WIC staff encourages pregnant women and parents and guardians of infants under 12 months of age to apply for Medicaid. • County health departments tell their clients about the Medicaid program and refer them to the local Department of Children and Families office for a full eligibility determination. County health departments also serve as presumptive eligibility sites for pregnant women and infants under age 1. Healthy Start Florida’s Healthy Start service delivery model has proven to be an effective strategy for targeting risk reduction resources to pregnant women and infants most at risk for poor health and development outcomes. Prenatal and infant risk screening identify potential Healthy Start participants. Further in-depth risk assessment by trained staff and family support planning with clients ensures risk reduction services are targeted to at-risk pregnant women and infants. These services, which provide at-risk families with the information, encouragement and support needed to take control of their own health practices and choices, may be provided in the home, clinic, or other community settings. Universal Healthy Start risk screening takes place at the first prenatal visit and before a newborn leaves the hospital, providing a unique opportunity to reach out to the populations whom could most benefit from Healthy Start services. Other outreach sites include WIC and Work and Gain Economic Self- Sufficiency (TANF) offices for welfare-to-work participants, Head Start and day care sites, and teen pregnancy/parenting programs. Florida’s locally-based Healthy Start Coalitions have been very successful in reinforcing the delivery of quality services through involving community partners in local needs assessment, service delivery planning and implementation and monitoring service delivery. The Healthy Start Coalitions which do not provide health services are responsible for determining the allocation of state and federal maternal and child health funds for Healthy Start