by Jennifer Kowalewski

Children who are healthy do better in school and better enjoy their educational experience. That’s why the Community Service Programs (CSP) reaches out to Ohio’s youngest children, through local schools, with pre-kindergarten screening.

For three days in August, CSP staff members made the rounds to area schools. Melanie Moynan-Smith, certified nurse practitioner, says the screening program checks the health status of children before they begin their school years. Its aim is to help children be in learning-ready shape when they begin their school years.

“Pre-kindergarten screenings are ways to check for eye, dental, hearing and other physical problems, and provide immunization updates,” Moynan-Smith says. “Also, the screenings are for developmental and behavioral problems. We provide preventive education and referrals as needed.”

For example, if a child fails the eye exam, he or she will get a referral for a more comprehensive vision test, she says.

“We can help kids who qualify get health insurance to cover the costs of needed tests,” she says.

The staff at CSP has helped the community in this fashion since 2001, first in Vinton County.

“In the beginning, we were asked to help Mount Caramel Hospital (Columbus) with sports physicals in Vinton County high schools,” Moynan-Smith says. “That’s how it started, and after the sports physicals, they asked us to do the pre-kindergarten physicals.”

Moynan-Smith says this summer, CSP staff headed to other area schools, expanding the pre-kindergarten testing. Children in Athens County could see CSP personnel, including those beginning school in Trimble, Chauncey, Alexander and Morrison. Also, CSP provided screenings for Head Start programs in Athens, Perry and Hocking counties.

It’s not just children and schools who benefit from this program. CSP staff talks to parents about safety issues involving their children.

“We have seen cases where parents smoke in the home,” she says. “I let parents know that research shows that second-hand smoke is as harmful as smoking. Through the years, I’ve found more parents are not smoking in the home, but grandpa and grandma can be problems.”

CSP still offers sports physicals in Vinton County, as well as physicals for bus drivers to help ensure that students are driven to school safely. Anyone interested in these programs should talk school officials to see if a program is available or if they are eligible.

For CSP, pre-kindergarten screening is another way to help the community by advancing the health of its youngest residents as they start one of the most crucial stages of their lives.