School Health
Bureau of Child and Adolescent Health
Division of Community Health & Prevention
Illinois Department of Human Services

Fact Sheets List

Program Page

Program Description

Target

Faculty, administrators and school health personnel in the 4,064 public and 1,434 non-public Illinois schools

Purpose

To equip school staff with the knowledge and skills to improve the health and well being of school-aged children statewide

Services

School Health Days and Critical Issues Conferences are provided annually for school health personnel to address current health issues. Topics may include communicable diseases, immunization law, mental health issues, physical activity/nutrition education, violence/injury prevention, tobacco/substance abuse prevention and chronic health problems. In addition, 12 communities receive coordinated school health grants. A local health department in partnership with a school or school district administers these projects. The partners identify local health needs and implement projects to address identified needs using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 8 component coordinated school health program model.

Delivery Method

Phone, e-mail, newsletter, website, manuals on school health topics (asthma, diabetes, medication administration), conferences

Program Data

SFY05 SFY06 SFY07 SFY08
Program Expenditure (Numbers in 000's) $373.0 $367.0 $367.0 $360.0
Number of Grantees 12 12 12 12
Number Served 11,087 9,715 9,940 18,742

Program Effectiveness

Approximately 300 school health personnel attended Spring 08 Critical Issues conferences which addressed communicable disease and implications of changes in the Nurse Practice Act on school nursing. Over 900 school health personnel attended Fall 07 School Health Days which addressed wellness policy implementation, handwashing, vision and hearing screening, immunization requirements, Human Papilloma Virus, lead screening requirements, oral health requirements, and the Illinois Youth Survey. Coordinated School Health grantees implemented the CATCH program to improve physical activity, nutrition and health education in county schools.