Help available for children with special health needs
The Tuscarawas County Health Department is looking to improve support for more families and children in the Tuscarawas Valley by introducing them to the Children with Medical Handicaps Program.
Help is available for parents and guardians of children with special healthcare needs. The Tuscarawas County Health Department is looking to improve support for more families and children in the Tuscarawas Valley by introducing them to the Children with Medical Handicaps Program.
The Children with Medical Handicaps Program is a service within the Ohio Department of Health that helps connect families with special healthcare needs to a network of medical providers and helps families with payment for the services their child needs.
Over the past couple of years, over 240 Tuscarawas County children have received assistance from the Children with Medical Handicaps Program.
“We know this is an underutilized program, and we know there are more children in our community who could benefit from what this program has to offer,” said Amy Kaser, TCHD director of nursing. “Worrying about a child’s health is stressful, and our public health nurses have the knowledge and skills to ease the burden and help parents in navigating the application process, finding physicians and providing support.”
The Children with Medical Handicaps Program has several options to help children with special healthcare needs. The diagnostic program allows children to receive services for up to six months from CMH providers to rule out or diagnose a special healthcare need.
The treatment program can provide funding for services related to an eligible condition, and the service coordination program helps families find and coordinate services for their child.
“There are many eligible conditions including diabetes, hearing loss, cystic fibrosis, cancer, scoliosis and more,” Kaser said.
If you and your child reside in Tuscarawas County and would like to learn more about the CMH Program, call 330-343-5555 ext. 1240 or visit the TCHD website at www.tchdnow.org.