West Virginia State Profile
- Profile overview
- CCHC facts
- Demographics
- Contacts
West Virginia does not provide funding to support child care health consultant (CCHC) services. However, the state does maintain a network of volunteer CCHCs to answer providers’ health and safety questions.
- Licensing: West Virginia child care licensing regulations require centers to have contact information for licensed health professionals or facilities that can provide medical consultation to staff. However, regulations do not identify these professionals as CCHCs.
- CCHC Role: Licensed health care professionals (e.g., MDs, DDSs, RNs, APNs, PAs) provide services to child care centers and family child care homes on a volunteer basis, according to provider needs and CCHC availability. Volunteer CCHCs often provide telephone consultation, and they sometimes offer training according to providers’ needs. Behavior Consultants provide on–site consultation, observation, and training and technical assistance (T/TA) services upon provider request.
- CCHC Training: West Virginia currently has two CCHCs who have completed the National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants (NTI). One of these CCHCs has a medical background, and the other has an education background.
History and Development
In 2000, the Healthy Child Care West Virginia (HCCWV) initiative identified and trained more than 100 CCHCs (primarily pediatricians and nurses) who were linked to child care programs. Subsequently, HCCWV developed a statewide database to track these CCHCs by county and region. To support consultants, the initiative developed and distributed a CCHC “toolkit”—a tote bag containing brochures and fact sheets on the role of CCHCs, a media fact sheet, press release, and a copy of Stepping Stones to Using Caring for Our Children.
Ingredients for Success
- Volunteer CCHCs: West Virginia’s use of licensed health professionals as volunteer CCHCs enables the state to provide support to child care providers while maximizing scarce resources.
- Needs Assessment: ECCS leaders are exploring new ways to deliver consultation services.
Information as of August 2007
