University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

Programs

Child Health Specialty Clinics offers a wide array of services and special programs. Select from the program list on the right to learn more about our specific programs. Contact us online or by phone (866) 219-9119 if you have any question or would like more information. 

1st Five

1st Five is an Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) program to support primary care providers in the early detection of social-emotional delays, developmental delays, and family risk-related factors in Iowa children 0-5 years old. 1st Five is a public-private partnership bridging primary care and public health. CHSC is working with Iowa HHS to provide assistance to primary care providers in Iowa's 88 1st Five counties. CHSC medical consultants offer peer coaching...

Early ACCESS

Early ACCESS is Iowa's system of early intervention for infants and toddlers with a developmental delay or diagnosed condition that could lead to a developmental delay. CHSC provides service coordination, nutrition services, and health assessments for children 0-3 years old enrolled in Early ACCESS. More information can be found on the Iowa Family Support Network website. For information about CHSC Early ACCESS services contact CHSC Early ACCESS Liaison, Tonya...

Family Engagement

CHSC proudly supports family engagement and has a long history of employing family support professionals, also known as Parent Consultants, Parent Partners, and Family Navigators. For decades, CHSC has advocated for increasing the role of families in Iowa's System of Care for children and youth with special health care needs. CHSC hired Julie Beckett as Iowa's first Family Navigator over 30 years ago and now employs 28 Family Navigators located in 13 community-based Regional Centers across Iowa.

Iowa Family Leadership Training Institute

Applications for 2024 Now Open! Click here to apply . Application also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish. Iowa Family Leadership Training Institute Parents and primary caregivers of children ages 3 to 19 with special health care needs are invited to participate in a special leadership training. The goals of this training are to: Understand how to work with partners Become aware of one's own path to leadership Discover strategies for advocacy Prepare a Community Service Project that impacts the...

Iowa Family Story Project

The Iowa Family Story Project illustrates the daily joys and struggles of caring for children, youth, and young adults with special health care needs or disabilities. Photographer Thomas Langdon shadowed eight of these Iowa families. They reflect Iowa's diversity and include those living on rural farms, in small towns, and in bustling cities. The children, youth, and young adults range in age from one year to 28 years and have a wide range of diagnoses, including autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and genetic conditions. Although the families are different in many ways, they share a set...

Nutrition Services

CHSC's Registered Dietitians provide families a nutrition assessment at a provider's request with follow-up care coordination as needed. CHSC also facilitates nutrition-focused system building activities including training and education on topics specific to children and youth with special health care needs. CHSC has developed a series of handouts with nutrition and feeding guidelines for children and families. Click here for a full list. Food Insecurity Food insecurity can impact all families, especially those of children and...

Regional Autism Assistance Program

The Iowa Regional Autism Assistance Program (RAP) provides community-based clinical consultation, multidisciplinary care planning recommendations, and family to family support for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. Click here to download the RAP Referral Form. RAP team members who work with families include advanced registered nurse practitioners, registered nurses and family navigators. They use standardized tools to identify children...

Storytelling for Families

Storytelling for Family Leaders 2023 Training Dates: September 15-November 17 In-Person Session September 22 at the Ames Library. Storytelling for Family Leaders is a virtual training developed in consultation with the Iowa Department of Education based on the Parents as Presenters program. The training includes an in-person orientation, online modules, and Zoom sessions for peer coaching to help families develop a 10 minute story to be used as part of their advocacy efforts. Click here to apply ...

Youth Advisory Council

2023 Youth Advisory Council CHSC is currently accepting applications for its 2023 Youth Advisory Council. Applicants must be 14-22 years old with special health care needs OR the sibling of someone with a special health care need. Council members will provide guidance to CHSC programming, while developing their own leadership and self-advocacy skills. For more information about becoming a Youth Advisory Council member, click here . To apply to the Youth Advisory Council...