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It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Infant, Child & Adolescent Health

Contact: Florida Health

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a normal part of mothers and babies being together. It is what nature intended for mothers and babies. Breastfeeding isn’t just about the milk though. Breastfeeding helps to build a bond that can last a lifetime!

Birth Certificate

Florida's birth certificate is a computer certification that contains an embossed seal incorporated into the safety paper, which meets requirements established by Homeland Security and other national and international groups. Florida has issued computer certifications since the mid 1980s, which is accepted by the U.S. Passport Office, the Social Security Administration, courts, school districts, and other state and federal entities and cruise lines requiring proof of U.S. birth.

Children’s Medical Services

Children’s Medical Services (CMS) is a collection of programs that serve children with special health care needs.  Each program provides family-centered care using statewide networks of specially qualified doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

CMS Managed Care Plan

Florida’s Children’s Medical Services Managed Care Plan (CMS Plan) provides children with special health care needs a family-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated system of care. The CMS Plan is designed to serve children under age 21 whose serious or chronic physical or developmental conditions require extensive preventive and ongoing care.

Drowning Prevention

Drowning Prevention—Florida loses more children under age five to drowning than any other state. Annually in Florida, enough children to fill three to four preschool classrooms drown and do not live to see their fifth birthday.

Early Steps

Early Steps, within Children's Medical Services, serves families with infants and toddlers, birth to 36 months of age, who have developmental delays or an established condition likely to result in a developmental delay.

Healthy Start

Healthy Start includes targeted support services that address identified risks. The range of Healthy Start services available to pregnant women, infants and children up to age three include information, psychosocial, childbirth and home visiting

KidCare

Florida KidCare is Florida's child health insurance program for children from birth though age 18 who do not have insurance. Eligibility for Florida KidCare is based on income and family size. Many non-citizen children are eligible. 

Lead Poisoning

Lead Poisoning—A simple blood test is the only way to tell if your child is being affected by lead. It is important to ask your doctor to test your child because blood lead testing is not routine.

Newborn Screening

Newborn Screening—Most babies arrive into the world healthy, but some have a rare health problem even though they seem healthy.  Florida screens all babies for over 36 different conditions, unless a parent objects in writing.  Before leaving the hospital, a few drops of blood are taken from the heel of the baby and the ears are also tested for hearing. 

School Health

The School Health Services Program is a component of the public health system that provides basic health services to all public school students.  All 67 counties provide basic school health services.  The services include: health appraisals; nursing assessments; child-specific training; preventative dental screenings and services; vision, hearing, scoliosis, and growth and development screenings; health counseling; referral and follow-up of suspected or confirmed health problems; first aid and emergency health services; assistance with medication administration; and health care procedures for students with chronic or acute health conditions.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death

When an infant under the age of 1 year dies suddenly and unexpectedly, it is called Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID).  Some of these deaths may be caused by suffocation, asphyxia, infection, metabolic diseases, heart problems, injuries (accidental or non-accidental), SIDS, or other reasons. In some cases, the death is considered to be from an undetermined cause.

WIC

WIC is a federally funded nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children. WIC provides the following at no cost: healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and referrals for health care.