The Legislature finds and declares that many physical and mental disabilities can be prevented, or their impact on an individual lessened, when they are identified and treated before they become chronic and irreversible damage occurs. The Legislature finds and declares that a community-based program of early identification and referral for treatment of potential handicapping conditions will be effective in reducing the incidence of the conditions and will benefit the health and welfare of the citizens of this state.
It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article and Section 120475 to establish child health and disability prevention programs, that shall be financed and have standards established at the state level and that shall be operated at the local level, for the purpose of providing early and periodic assessments of the health status of children. It is further intended that child health and disability prevention programs shall make maximum use of existing health care resources and shall utilize, as the first source of screening, the child’s usual source of health care so that health screening programs are fully integrated with existing health services, that health care professionals be appropriately represented and utilized in these programs, that outreach programs be developed to stimulate the use of preventive health services, and that services offered pursuant to this article be efficiently provided and be of the highest quality.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1996.)