A new program is launching in Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent to connect children five and under to primary care.
The province has given $536,723 in annualized funding to support First Five, a program offered through the North Lambton Community Health Centre (NLCHC) and the Chatham-Kent Community Health Centre (CKCHC).
The funding will be split in half between the two centres.
Kathy Bresett, Executive Director for NLCHC said they will be working with families with children five and under.
"We'll try to connect them for immunizations, assessments for healthy development, also for referrals to other services in the community," she said.
First Five will be funded year after year and aims to increase preventative and health promotion care and services for young children, especially those without OHIP cards or a primary care provider.
Bresett said there will also be a mobile part to the program.
"Our team of a nurse practitioner and a registered practical nurse will be out doing mobile clinics around Sarnia-Lambton in areas that we can connect with families that may have access issues for transportation or not know about services in the community," she said.
The first mobile clinic will be held next week at the West Lambton Community Health Centre on Exmouth Street in Sarnia.
Bresett said there are some criteria in order to register.
"The children have to be unattached or not have a primary care provider is the one criteria, so it's people without a physician or nurse practitioner," she said.
Bresett said there are quite a few children who currently do not have a primary care provider.
"We'll be working with our partners that have been working on some of this work with Lambton Public Health, our primary care partners, midwives, pediatricians, all the partners that are connected to this age group," she said.
The First Five program is expected to provide increased access to immunization, healthy child development, early chronic disease prevention and providing the correct care to mitigate potential emergency department use for preventative care.
"Providing access to health care services for children at risk of in rural areas will address the social determinants of health, and in the long run, can change the trajectory of a child's health later in life for the better," said Chatham-Kent Community Health Centre's Executive Director Sherri Saunders.
Families looking to participate are being encouraged to email firstfive@nlchc.com for Sarnia-Lambton and FirstFive@ckchc.com.