We’re excited to share that HDI’s Professional Development Content Coordinator for Child Care Aware, Christine Hausman, has been selected as an Act Early Ambassador for Kentucky and will serve as a state liaison to the “Learn the Signs. Act Early” campaign! In this role, she will support the work of Act Early State Teams and other state/territorial or national initiatives to improve early identification of developmental delay and disability and promote the adoption and integration of “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” resources into systems that serve young children and their families.
Christine’s early childhood work gives her strong connections to communities to improve early identification of developmental delay. She will head to the CDC in Atlanta for Ambassador training in March. She will represent HDI and Kentucky well! —Kathy Sheppard-Jones
According to the Association of University Centers on Disabilities:
The Act Early Ambassadors project is designed to develop a network of state-level experts who promote developmental monitoring and screening and improve early identification of DD/ASD practices. It is a collaborative effort on behalf of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), and the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Act Early Ambassadors serve as state or territorial liaisons to the Act Early Initiative and act as a community champion or change agent to increase parent-engaged developmental monitoring of young children through the use of “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” materials in early childhood systems and organizations.
Since 2011, professionals with medical, child development, developmental disability, special education, and early intervention expertise have been selected to
- Serve as a state or territorial point-of-contact for the national “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program;
- Support the work of Act Early State Teams and other state/territorial or national initiatives to improve early identification of developmental delay and disability; and
- Promote the adoption and integration of “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” resources into systems that serve young children and their families.
Learn more about the Act Early Ambassadors project.