June 2005

Introduction

Most communities have education, mental health, family support, child care, health care, and other services that can help support children and families. However, locating those services or even knowing which services to look for is often difficult. This knowledge path is designed to help service providers and families find available national, state, and local resources that can address child and family needs.

Education/Special Needs

Listed below are tools for identifying developmental assessment and learning services for children at various age levels who may have special education needs. See the Parenting Section for general education resources for families.

• Local Public School District. Contact the special services/special education director in your local public school district if you have concerns about your child's progress and would like to have him or her evaluated, The director is the point person for the child study team, school psychologist, and all of the other special services professionals available through the school district. The phone number for your local public school district is available in the local or county government section (i.e., the blue pages) of your telephone book under the name of your town or county.
  
  
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). Provides a wealth of resources for families, educators, and other professionals on disabilities and disability-related issues that include specific disabilities, early intervention, special education and related services, individualized education programs, family issues, education rights, and transition to adult life. Materials are available in English and Spanish. NICHCY is funded by the Department of Education (ED). Telephone: (800) 695-0285 (voice or TDD).

  NICHCY's State Resource Sheets. Lists up-to-date contact information for state agencies and organizations; disability-specific organizations, parent groups and parent training and information centers, and other organizations within each state that address disability-related issues. To identify developmental and learning services for children at various age levels who may have special education needs, select a state and scroll the list to find contact information for the state's program for infants and toddlers with disabilities (from birth through age 2), the program for children with disabilities (ages 3 through 5), and the special education program for school-age children and adolescents.

Health and Wellness

Listed below are tools for identifying sources for primary health care, oral health care, genetics services, children's hospitals, home health care, health insurance, poison control centers, and information for tapping into professional networks.

Information Gold Mine

• MedlinePlus. Contains a selective list of authoritative health information sources for consumers and health professionals on over 700 topics about conditions, diseases, and wellness. Offers links to publications, Web sites, dictionaries for medical terms, a medical encyclopedia, information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, information about clinical trials, automatic searches in PubMed, and consumer health libraries around the country. Also includes an extensive list of links to directories for general and specialty physicians and dentists; general and specialized hospitals and clinics; other health professionals (e.g., audiologists, nutritionists); and other health facilities and services (e.g., asthma camps, poison control centers). MedlinePlus is available in English and Spanish, and it is provided by the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
  

Primary health care

• American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatrician Referral Service. Provides an online directory of pediatricians. This directory is searchable by city, state, zip code, area code, and/or medical specialty/interest.
  
  
• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): Find a Family Doctor. Presents an online directory of active members of the AAFP that is searchable by city, state, and zip code.
  
  
• Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Service Delivery Sites. Offers contact information for community health centers that provide free or low-cost care to underserved populations. The database is searchable by geographic area; clinic name; and type of service provided, including primary medical care, mental health care, and oral health care.
  
  
• Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) Hotline. Offers a hotline number to help pregnant women and families identify free or low-cost services for themselves and their children. Telephone: (800) 311-2229; (800) 504-7081 (Spanish).
  
  
• National Library of Medicine (NLM) Health Hotlines. Comprises an online database of toll-free telephone numbers of health-related organizations. Includes information on services and publications in Spanish.
  
  
• Also see MedlinePlus.
  

Oral health care

• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD): Find a Pediatric Dentist. Provides an online directory of pediatric dentists that is searchable by name, city, state, and zip code.
  
  
• American Dental Association (ADA): Find a Dentist. Provides an online directory of dentists. The database is searchable by name, city, state, zip code, and area of specialty (e.g., pediatric dentistry, dental public health).
  
  
• Also see Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Service Delivery Sites.
  

Genetics services

• National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center (NNSGRC): State Map Page. Provides contact information for each state's newborn screening program.
  
  
• National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC): ResourceLink. Comprises an online directory for locating genetic counseling services by name, institution, city, state, zip code, and area of specialty.
  

Children's hospitals

• National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) Hospital Profiles. Offers an online directory of children's hospitals searchable by geographic region, pediatric specialty, care delivery program, community outreach program, camps for children with special health care needs, and current research programs.
  

Home health care

• Visiting Nurses Association of America (VNAA). Offers a directory of local visiting nurse associations that offer home health care for individuals of all ages. The directory is searchable by city, state, and zip code.
  
  
• Home Care/Hospice Agency Locator. Provides a database of more than 20,000 home care and hospice agencies along with guides about how to choose each. This database, a service of the National Association for Home Care, is searchable by city, state, and zip code.
  

Health insurance

• Insure Kids Now. Contains links to each state's child and adolescent health insurance program Web site. Available in English and Spanish. Telephone: (877) KIDS-NOW or (877) 543-7669.
  
  
• State Medicaid Programs. Presents information about each state's Medicaid program, including contact information, Web site address, and links to state resources (e.g., eligibility information), as well as links to national Medicaid resources and initiatives.
  
  
• Medicaid Reference Desk. Explains Medicaid in basic terms for people with cognitive disabilities, family members, and advocates. Provides information about what is available through each state Medicaid plan and waivers and where to apply for services. Each Medicaid service is described in ordinary language, and visitors can choose to hear the information rather than read it.
  

Local poison control centers

• American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC): Find Your Poison Center. Offers an online directory of poison control centers searchable by name, state, and zip code. Telephone for a poisoning emergency: (800) 222-1222.
  

Professional networks

• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): State and Territorial Links. Provides links to state and territorial health agencies on the Web.
  
  
• MCH Organizations Database. Lists over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in maternal and child health (MCH) activities, primarily at the national level. Use this database to identify contact information for these organizations, many of which offer directories of their state and local chapters. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers contact information and links to the Web sites of their state chapters and districts.
  
  
• Also see the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
  

Mental Health and Well-Being

Listed below are tools for locating mental health professionals and mental health services. Also see the Health and Wellness Section to find information about health insurance and children's hospitals.

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder. Offers a directory of child and adolescent psychiatrists searchable by city, state, name, and practice information. Also offers fact sheets for families about choosing a child and adolescent psychiatrist and knowing when to seek help and where to find help.
  
  
• Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health: Local Chapters. Provides an online directory of local, family-run organizations that offer resources and advocate for children with mental health needs and their families so that they may achieve a better quality of life.
  
  
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Find Your State and Local NAMI. Offers a directory of state and local affiliate organizations that provide mental health services and support for families.
  
  
• National Mental Health Information Center: Mental Health Services Locator. Telephone: (800) 789-2647 (voice) or (866) 889-2647 (TDD). Identify services in your community by selecting your state and choosing from one of the following directories:

  Mental Health Facilities Locator. This directory of mental health treatment facilities and support services is searchable by city and organization type (e.g., outpatient clinic, residential treatment program for children).

  Mental Health Services Directory. This list offers contact information for consumer, family, and advocacy organizations.

  Hispanic Youth Violence Prevention Services. This directory is searchable by city.

  State Resource Guide. This list provides contact information for government and nongovernment organizations that offer professional advocacy protection, family support programs, financing information, and self-help groups.

  State Suicide Prevention Programs. Lists available state-funded suicide-prevention plans and programs and the national suicide crisis hotline. Telephone: (800) 273-TALK or (800) 273- 8255 (voice); (800) 799-4889 (TDD).

  Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator. This directory of drug and alcohol treatment centers is searchable by city, street, or zip code.

• National Mental Health Information Center: National Toll-Free Help Lines. Lists organizations that provide mental health information and referrals, and in some cases, crisis counseling over a toll-free phone line. Includes phone numbers, when available, for Spanish-speaking consumers and those using telecommunication devices for hearing impairments (TDD).
  
  
• National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Offers a directory of credentialed psychologists searchable by city, county, zip code, state, and practice information.
  
  
• Contact the school psychologist or the director of special services/special education in your local public school district.
  
  
• Also see the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) Service Delivery Sites and NICHCY's State Resource Sheets for contact information for state mental health agencies and organizations.
  

Family Support

Listed below are tools for identifying family support groups, child abuse prevention and intervention services, community violence prevention and intervention services, domestic violence prevention and intervention services, faith-based support services, marriage and family therapists, respite care for caregivers or families of individuals with disabilities or other special needs, services for military personnel and their families, and sudden and other unexpected infant death prevention and intervention services. Also see the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the National Mental Health Information Center for locating substance use treatment services and other mental health support services for families. Your local telephone book is another resource for identifying community-based family support organizations. Check under the sections for human services and/or social services in the county and state government section (i.e., the blue pages) and in the yellow pages.

Family support groups

• American Self-Help Group Clearinghouse: Self-Help Group Sourcebook Online. Contains information about national and international self-help support groups for chronic illnesses and disabilities, bereavement, parenting, caregiver concerns, and other stressful life situations.
  
  
• Maternal and Child Health Library: Family Resource Centers. This annotated list presents national organizations that can connect families to local support networks.
  
  
• Parent to Parent USA: Statewide Parent to Parent Programs. Presents contact information for parent to parent programs in states that have one. The programs provide emotional support and information to families of children with special needs most notably by matching parents seeking support with a trained and experienced veteran parent who has shared the experience of disability in the family.
  
  
• Also see the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health and the state resource sheets developed by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY).
  

Child abuse prevention and intervention services

• Childhelp USA®: National Child Abuse Hotline. Provides hotline services 24 hours daily with professional crisis counselors who use a database of emergency, social service, and support resources to help children in the midst of abuse, troubled parents, individuals concerned that abuse is occurring, and others requesting child abuse information. Telephone: (800) 4-A-CHILD® or (800) 422-4453.
  

Community violence prevention and intervention services

• Contact your local police department. The phone number is listed in the local or county government section of your phone book (i.e., the blue pages) under the section for your town or county.
  

Domestic violence prevention and intervention services

• National Domestic Violence Hotline. Offers crisis intervention, information about domestic violence, and referrals to local service providers to victims of domestic violence and those calling on their behalf. Telephone: (800) 799-SAFE or (800) 799-7233; (800) 787-3224 (TDD).
  

Faith-based support services

• Contact your local church, synagogue, temple, or other religious institution. For telephone numbers and addresses, check the yellow pages of your telephone book under the sections for religious organizations, churches, and synagogues and temples. Also check under the section for social service organizations where the local offices for religious-based organizations that offer family services are listed (e.g., Catholic Charities, Islamic Society, Jewish Federation, Salvation Army).
  

Marriage and family therapists

• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT): TherapistLocator Directory of the United States. Offers an online directory of marriage and family therapists that is searchable by name, city, state, and zip code.
  

Respite care for caregivers or families of individuals with disabilities or other special needs

• ARCH National Respite Network: National Respite Locator Service. Contains contact information for state respite coalitions and a locator service to assist parents, caregivers, and professionals in locating respite services in their state and local area.
  
  
• Also see the Home Health Care Section.
  

Services for military personnel and their families

• MilitaryHOMEFRONT: Children and Youth. Offers program directories with contact information for family centers, child development centers, adolescent programs, and family advocacy programs on all military installations.
  
  
• Specialized Training of Military Parents (STOMP). Offers contact information for volunteers in each state who are parents of children with special needs and have experience in raising their children in military communities and traveling with their spouses to different locations. Telephone: (800) 5-PARENT or (800) 572-7368 (Voice or TDD).
  

Sudden and other unexpected infant death prevention and intervention services

• First Candle/SIDS Alliance. Provides a nationwide, 24-hour, toll-free hotline in English and Spanish for expectant and new parents on ways to help their infants survive and thrive, for parents who have experienced the death of an infant, and for professionals working with families. Telephone: (800) 221-7437.
  

Parenting

Listed below are general education and child development resources for parents, along with a tool for identifying your local parent teacher association (PTA). Your local library is also an excellent source for parenting resources; many local libraries have community bulletin boards with notices about local play groups, parent discussion groups, and seminars on parenting topics.

• Helping Your Child Series. These booklets feature practical lessons and activities for parents to help their preschool and school-aged child master reading and other subjects, understand the value of homework, and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow in school and life. This publication series is available in English and Spanish from the Department of Education (ED)
  
  
• Find Your Local PTA. Lists over 23,000 local PTA units that work to improve the education, health, and well-being of all children and adolescents in schools and communities. National PTA also offers resources for parents about helping children and adolescents achieve academically and socially.
  
  
• See MedlinePlus, specifically the resource guides on Child development, Teen development, and Parenting.
  
  
• Also see your local public school district. Teachers and school administrators are valuable resources for information about helping children reach their academic potential.
  

Child Care/Early Childhood Education

Listed below are tools for finding high-quality child care, early childhood education, and financial assistance for child care.

High-quality child care

• Child Care Aware. Offers child care information for families in English and Spanish on topics such as choosing high-quality care, types of care, licensing, and accreditation. To find care, use the following resources:

  Child Care Connector. Presents an online directory of local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) organizations that provide parents with referrals to local child care providers, information on state licensing requirements, availability of child care subsidies, and other pertinent information about child care. The database is searchable by county, zip code, and state. Telephone: (800) 424-2246.

Early childhood education

• Office of Head Start: Search for a Head Start Program. Offers an online directory of Head Start programs, including Early Head Start, Migrant Head Start, and American Indian Alaskan Native Head Start, that is searchable by type of program, city, and state. Also links to background information about Head Start and income guidelines for participation in Head Start programs.
  
  
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Accredited Program Search. Provides an online directory of NAEYC-accredited early childhood education programs. This directory is searchable by zip code and state. Telephone: (800) 424-2460, (866) NAEYC-4U, or (866) 623-9248.
  

Financial assistance for child care

• National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC): Finding Help to Pay for Child Care. Describes sources of child care funding available to families, including government subsidies, tax credits, and private scholarships. Also links to state profiles with contact information for the child care bureaus in every state. NCCIC also offers a selection of resources in Spanish.
  

Financial Support

Listed below are tools for identifying child support enforcement, employment, financial assistance, food, home energy, housing, legal assistance, and other social services. Also see the Health and Wellness Section for finding health insurance for families and the Child Care/Early Childhood Education Section for finding financial assistance for child care.

• Dial 2-1-1. The 2-1-1 telephone number offers comprehensive, community-based information and referrals for services such as emergency financial assistance, food, shelter, employment, transportation, home energy assistance, child support enforcement services, legal aid assistance, physical and mental health services, and crisis intervention and counseling. 2-1-1 serves approximately 163 million Americans - over 55% of the U.S. population. There are 187 active 2-1-1 systems in the United States covering all or part of 38 states plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. Dial 2-1-1 or use the 2-1-1 Finder to find out if your area offers the service. View the nationwide status report to learn about present and planned coverage in all 50 states.
  
  
• GovBenefits.gov. Offers eligibility criteria, program descriptions, and contact information in English and Spanish about federal and state government assistance programs. Users can access a free and confidential online screening tool to receive a customized report listing the benefit programs for which the user, or person for whom he or she is entering information, may be eligible, including child care, child support enforcement, employment, financial assistance, food, health insurance, home energy, and housing assistance. GovBenefits.gov is a partnership of federal agencies.
  
  
• Your local telephone book is also a resource for identifying financial support for children and families. Check under the sections for human services and/or social services in the county and state government section (i.e., the blue pages).
  
  
• For information about community-based legal aid programs for families with low incomes, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, military service members and their families, and people in other special circumstances, see the American Bar Association: Consumer's Guide to Free Legal Help.
  

This knowledge path has been compiled by the Maternal and Child Health and Bright Futures at Georgetown University in collaboration with the National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health at Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development.

Please view our entire collection of knowledge paths on important MCH topics.

Authors: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library; Rochelle Mayer, Ed.D., National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.
Reviewers: Jeanne Anastasi, Bright Futures at Georgetown University; Suzanne M. Bronheim, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD); Eileen Clark, Bright Futures at Georgetown University; Gary F. Macbeth, M.S.W., M.Ed., National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health; Jan McCarthy, M.S.W., GUCCHD; Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., Maternal and Child Health Library; Edward L. Schor, M.D., The Commonwealth Fund; Joyce K. Sebian, M.S.Ed., National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health.