Links & Resources
Access for Special Kids (ASK) Family Resource Center
TheAccess for Special Kids (ASK) Family Resource Center website is a one-stop-shop for children and adults with disabilities and their families and can link families
with its partner agencies.
www.askresource.org
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics website provides information on physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and
young adults.
www.aap.org
Born Learning
Everyday life is a learning experience for children. Born Learning is a public engagement campaign that helps parents, grandparents and caregivers explore ways to
turn everyday moments into fun learning opportunities. The website contains handouts on nutrition, sleep, safety, and growth and development.
http://bornlearning.org/default.aspx?id=40
Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD)
The CDD works to Improve the health and independence of people with disabilities and advance the community systems on which they rely. CDD can help find the
information you want.
http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/cdd/index.asp
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC website contains a variety of information on different diseases as well as information on child development and lead poisoning.
http://www.cdc.gov/az/a.html
Child Health Specialty Clinics
The Child Health Specialty Clinics (CHSC) mission is to improve the health, development, and well-being of children and youth with special health care needs in
partnership with families, service providers, communities, and policymakers. Some of their services include: coordination of care for families, family support,
continuity of care, autism program and child health. The site provides a listing of the regional CHSC and the parent consultants at each regional center.
http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/state/chsc/index.html
Child Care Resource & Referral of Northwest Iowa
http://www.mid-siouxopportunity.org/ccr/index.shtml
Child Care Resource & Referral of Northeast Iowa
http://www.neiowachildcare.org/index.asp
Child Care Resource & Referral of Southwest and South Central Iowa
http://www.swiowachildcare.org/
Child Care Resource & Referral Center of Central Iowa
http://www.centraliowachildcare.org/
Child Care Resource & Referral of Southeast Iowa
http://www.iowatrain.org/program.php?prog=2&progpg=0
Community Action
There are eighteen agencies serving families living in all ninety-nine counties of Iowa. The services vary from agency to agency, but staff members from all
eighteen agencies are committed to helping families and changing lives.
www.iowacommunityaction.com
City of Des Moines Community Development
www.iowacommunityaction.com
Community Action of Southeast Iowa
www.iowacommunityaction.com
Community Action Agency of Siouxland
www.caasiouxland.org
New Opportunities, Inc.
www.newopp.org
Hawkeye Area Community Action Program
www.hacap.org
Community Action of Eastern Iowa
www.iowatrain.org
MATURA Action Corp.
www.iowacommunityaction.com
Mid-Iowa Community Action
www.micaonline.org
Mid-Sioux Opportunity
www.mid-siouxopportunity.com
North Iowa Community Action Organization
www.nicao-online.org
Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp.
www.neicac.org
Operations: New Community Action Agency
www.operationnewview.org
Operation Threshold
www.operationtreshold.org
Red Rock Area Community Action Program
www.rracap.org
South Central Iowa Community Action Program
www.iowacommunityaction.com
Southeastern Iowa Economic Development Assoc.
www.sieda.org
Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Inc.
www.udmo.com
West Central Community Action
www.iowacommunityaction.com
Consumer Product Safety Commission
You can find information on recalled products on the Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.
http://www.cpsc.gov/
Des Moines Child Guidance Center
The Des Moines Child Guidance Center website provides information on the outreach services that are provided to more than 50 central Iowa schools to help children
achieve healthy emotional and social development so they can succeed academically.
www.orchardplace.org/content/services/guidance.aspx
Disability Resource Library (DRL)
The Disability Resource Library (DRL) is a resource for people of all ages with disabilities of all kinds. It is also a resource for families, and for the service
providers with whom they work.
www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/cdd
Early Childhood Iowa
The Early Childhood Iowa website provides early childhood information in A to Z sections with topics such as; child care, health and safety, child development,
learning to read and write, parenting, pregnancy, and many others.
www.parents.earlychildhoodiowa.org
Healthy and Well Kids--Iowa (hawk-i)
hawk-i is a program that provides health care coverage for Iowa children in families that meet the eligibility requirements.
http://www.hawk-i.org
Healthy Families Line
Toll free line that provides information to parents on topics including: immunizations for children, health care coverage, infant/child health, domestic abuse,
adolescent health, pregnancy, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and links to community resources.
1-800-369-2229
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/family_health.asp
InfantSEE®
InfantSEE® is a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of
life. Under this program, member optometrists provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment within the first year of life as a no cost public health service.
http://www.infantsee.org/
Iowa 211 Information & Referral
211 provides information and referrals to human services for a number of health related topics. Some of the topics include: quality childcare, after school
programs, Head Start, family resource centers, family support & parent education programs, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective
services and child health insurance.
http://www3.irissoft.com/iowa/
IowAble Foundation
The Iowa Able Foundation helps Iowans with disabilities, their families and older Iowans access adaptive devices/equipment and home modifications through its loan
programs.
Iowa Able offers an alternative financial solution by providing low interest loans with flexible terms to help individuals increase their independence at home, at
work, and in the community. This statewide, nonprofit program will loan funds for any item, piece of equipment or product that is used to improve an individual’s
quality of life.
Iowa Able loans are about independence and quality of life.....
http://www.iowaable.org/
Iowa Area Education Agencies
The Iowa Area Education Agencies website has information about the 10 regional service agencies which provide school improvement services for students, families,
teachers, administrators and their communities.
www.iowaaea.org
Iowa Community Empowerment
The purpose of creating the community empowerment initiative is to empower individuals and their communities to achieve desired results for improving the quality of
life for children 0-5 and their families.
http://www.empowerment.state.ia.us
Iowa COMPASS
Iowa COMPASS is Iowa's free, statewide information and referral service for people with disabilities, their families, service providers, and other members of the
community. We maintain information on over 5,500 local, state, and national agencies and programs.
http://www.iowacompass.org
Iowa Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT)
On this site, you will find useful information screening guidelines and tools to promote healthy physical, mental, social, and emotional development, so that all
children in Iowa are able to reach their full potential. Topics for screenings include: nutrition, mental health & development, oral health, immunizations, lead testing, hearing and vision testing, and a health physical.
http://iowaepsdt.org/index.htm
Iowa State University Extension
The Iowa State University Extension website offers reliable parenting information for children of all ages.
www.extension.iastate.edu/homefamily
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, and enhances the potential for
full, productive living. There work includes identifying the causes of and preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities, helping children to develop
and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities
Offers a list of developmental milestones in how children play, learn, speak and act.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/actearly/default.htm
Pre[k]now
The Pre[k]now website offers a variety of resources that can help make the most of children’s natural inclination to learn. The website has links to other resources
that provide tips for how to engage children in developmentally appropriate activities that parent and child can do together, and provide resources on school
readiness.
http://www.preknow.org/families/athome/learnathome.cfm
University of Iowa Pediatric Health
The University of Iowa Pediatric Health website has information on a variety of topics related to children’s health.
www.uihealthcare.com/topics/medicaldepartments/pediatrics
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA recall, market withdrawals and safety alerts posted.
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html
Visiting Nurse Services
The Visiting Nurse Services website offers a wide variety of resources for both the Polk County area and state wide.
www.vnsdm.org/links.php
Washington Learning Systems
The Washington Learning Systems website has free reproducible language and early literacy activities that can be downloaded in both English and Spanish. To
download the click on the purple button that says “Free Parent Education Handouts” on the home page.
http://www.walearning.com/
Zero to Three
The Zero to Three website offers a continually growing list of topics, covering a verity of areas interesting to parents and a tip of the week about all areas of a
young child’s development.
www.zerotothree.org
Iowa Department of Public Health
The Iowa Department of Public Health website contains an alphabetical listing of topics, divisions, bureaus and programs for the state of Iowa.
www.idph.state.ia.us
Iowa Department of Human Service
The Department of Human Service website offers a wide variety of information on services provided by DHS.
www.dhs.state.ia.us
Iowa Department of Education
The Iowa Department of Education website offers a wide variety of information on Iowa’s education system
www.iowa.gov/educate
