Special Health Needs of Children

Maine CDC Programs for Children With Special Health Needs: Maine CDC administers a variety of programs for children with special health needs.  These programs include:

• The Maine Birth Defects Program (MBDP) works to ensure that all infants with birth defects are identified early and referred to an established network of services, in order to achieve optimal health and develop to their fullest potential.   
• The Maine Cleft Lip & Palate Program connects families of children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate to an established network of services, for children to achieve optimal health, and develop to their fullest potential.  
• The Maine Newborn Bloodspot Program works to eliminate and reduce death and disabilities by screening, detection and treatment of disorders included in the Maine newborn screening panel. All newborns are tested for several rare but serious medical conditions.   
• The Maine Newborn Hearing Program: In Maine, all hospitals with birth facilities offer newborn hearing screening before babies go home. A hearing screening is a test to tell if an infant might have a hearing loss.   
• Care Coordination services can help guide families in finding resources to best fit the needs of children with special health needs and assist with issues like insurance appeals, application processes, referrals, and advocacy for access to programs and services. These services are provided free of charge.   

Katie Beckett: This program provides access to MaineCare coverage for children under age 19 with serious health conditions whose families’ incomes would otherwise make them ineligible for MaineCare.

Maine CITE is a project designed to help make assistive and universally designed technology more available to Maine children and adults who have disabilities.