Good health for every child

Health and poverty

In 2011, 5% of Flemish 3- to 5-year-olds lived in a family that had to postpone health care for financial reasons. This finding calls for action. After all, child poverty has a significant long-term impact. The circumstances in which children grow up affect their physical and mental health as adults. In addition, intervening at an early age is more cost-effective than intervening later in life.

In this project, we proactively identify children with health risks in vulnerable families and effectively address poverty-related child health problems through extensive cross-sectoral collaboration between CLB and PCSW.

Collaboration pays off

The intervention aims to remove financial barriers to health interventions in families with limited income. The modalities of the intervention are based on a Dutch intervention model and will be tested and possibly further adapted in a Flemish context. The intervention targets families with children in the second kindergarten class of an urban or free primary school. Every year, the CLB invites these children and their parents to a preventive medical examination.

In this project, CLB Kempen undertakes to pay special attention to the health problems and health risks of children in families with limited income, by systematically searching for these children and, when diagnosing health problems, explicitly taking into account the financial thresholds that may stand in the way of an effective solution. For families selected in this way, Social House Geel undertakes to provide effective financial support for the necessary or desired health intervention, if they so wish.

Discover Good health for every child. Roadmap for CPAS and CLB to work together.