News

In Mecklenburg County, an estimated 7,000 to 12,000 children under the age of 5 are at increased risk for a chronic, physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional condition that requires care or services beyond that generally required by children. A myriad of organizations and systems are in place to meet the needs of these children and their caregivers, but often families fall through the cracks or fail to access the full range of services due to a complex array of eligibility requirements as well as financial limitations and the social stigma attached to these programs.

Smart Start of Mecklenburg County's board of directors commissioned a study to develop a thorough understanding of the complex systems of care available to local families of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) from birth to age 5. The research found these systems are analogous to an octopus, with each tentacle having a succession of agencies devoted to serving families. As each tentacle wraps the child in services, families face a growing list of rules and potential challenges.

From this research, Taming the Octopus: An Overview of the Systems of Care for Children Under Age 5 with Special Health Care Needs in Mecklenburg County was published. The study found that Mecklenburg County has gaps in services as well as many barriers to access, preventing many children and families from getting the assistance they need. The study also outlined 5 key suggestions for ways Smart Start of Mecklenburg County can improve the system of care for CSHCN, including exploring collaborations between health care and the social services sector, increasing the availability of home visiting programs for new mothers and developing a stronger parent-to-parent support system.

On Wednesday, April 28, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County will host a virtual event to formally unveil the results of the Taming the Octopus report, as well as provide a discussion on how Mecklenburg County can better address many of these issues and concerns.

Panel speakers include:

• Jonathan Scott, Researcher and Author of Taming the Octopus (Moderator)
• Sloan Storie, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education and Child Development, UNC Charlotte, Cato College of Education
• Morgan Walls, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, General Pediatrics, Atrium Health, Myers Park Pediatrics
• Lisa Cloninger, MSW, LCSWA, ITFS, EI Fidelity Coach, Director, Children's Developmental Services
• James McDowell DuRant III, MD, Novant Health Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
• Cheryl Mandle, MA, NBCT, Preschool Program Manager, Programs for Exceptional Children, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

To register for the Taming the Octopus virtual event, click here. An executive summary of Taming the Octopus can be downloaded here. The full report will be available following the event on April 28.