Parents

Your Child's Medical Care - A Medical Home

To grow up healthy, your child deserves the best from the health care system, including prenatal and pediatric care. You and your child need a doctor who can provide support and guidance on a broad range of issues. Ideally, you and your child have access to a doctor who will:

• Communicate effectively with you
• Be available to you in a manner that meets your needs
• Is aware of the many helpful resources in your community that can support your child’s development
• Ensures that your child’s early development (including social-emotional health) is supported.

Docs for Tots works to promote the “medical home model” of care for pregnant women and young children. The medical home is high quality, comprehensive health care for children that is family centered, accessible and coordinated.

As a parent, actions you can take to ensure your developing child is best supported through the medical home include:

• Consider whether there is a good fit between your health care provider and your family and if there is not, find a different provider
• Make sure you are comfortable asking questions openly to your/your child’s health care provider
• Be proactive and learn about what you should expect from your health care provider in terms of monitoring and supporting your child’s development—an educated parent helps doctors provide the best care
• Come to check-ups prepared with questions about your child’s development
• Encourage communication between your health care provider and other caring professionals in your child’s life