HHS Awards $30 Million to Expand Developmental Screening for Children through Community Health Centers

To help mark National Health Center Week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $30 million to 151 HRSA-funded health centers to improve developmental outcomes among children ages 0-5 through increased screenings and follow-up services. Today’s announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to high-quality care early in childhood and ensuring that young children have the strongest possible start.

Health centers are the vital source of primary care for more than 30 million people across the country, and ongoing, sustainable funding for health centers expires at the end of September. Health centers provide essential preventive and primary care services in the highest need communities across the country. Health centers will use today’s funding to strengthen and expand the availability of early childhood services that are vital for reducing gaps in school readiness and improving children’s ability to succeed.

The President’s Budget has called for renewing and growing the federal investment in health centers to support critical work like meeting the developmental needs of young children.

“Health centers provide young children with developmental disabilities in our highest need communities with the support they need to succeed. This National Health Center Week, we recognize and thank health centers and their staff for their continued dedication to underserved communities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Health centers provide many kinds of support, including screening of young children and connecting them to appropriate services. We urge Congress to fund health centers in a sustainable way, so more Americans benefit from this support.”

Click here to read the full release.