Holistic System of Services and Supports

All Our Kids Early Childhood Networks are unique in that they are concerned about the health and well-being of all children birth to five years of age, their parents/caregivers, and expecting parents. This means that AOK Networks involve stakeholders who represent a holistic and comprehensive set of services and supports focused on health, mental health, early learning and care, social services, parent supports, basic needs and more. Services are comprehensive in that they meet a wide range of needs, from promotion and prevention to intervention.

For example, all children, regardless of their family’s income or prevalence of risk factors, benefit from high-quality services such as prenatal and well-child care, immunizations, screenings, information on child development, parenting education, and child safety to assure their healthy development.

Some children, who have one or more risk factors, are at increased risk of health, developmental, and/or social-emotional-mental problems. These risk factors may be offset when children and/or their parents/caregivers engage in services such as home visiting, family case management, coordinated care, family literacy, job placement assistance, etc.

Children who are most at-risk – those with a greater number or more severe risk factors or medical problems – may require additional specialized services for themselves or their parents, for example, therapeutic or remedial services, child welfare services, and respite care or substance abuse treatment for parents/caregivers.

Together, AOK Network partners work to build a more coherent system of services and supports that can better meet the needs of all very young children and their parents/caregivers in their communities.