Children's Health Program

CONTACT:

291 Main St, Suite 303, 3rd Floor
Great Barrington, MA 01230
413-528-9311 x12
communityhealthprograms.org

Bryan Ayars, CEO

DESCRIPTION:

Rural health care delivery for low-income families is a special challenge: the population is dispersed, and town budgets are stretched because school, road and highway costs are disproportionately burdensome. CHP was founded in 1975 by a circuit-riding pediatrician, Dr. Thomas J. Whitfield, who was appalled at the neglect of children's health care issues. It now serves 15 rural communities in southern Berkshire County. Its programs are designed for dispersed delivery, and are aimed at rural needs: food and nutrition, and comprehensive pediatric care for infants, toddlers, children, and youth. CHP playgroups are located at 11 sites in 9 towns; additional core service sites are located in the towns of Lee and Otis.

CHP is successful, but it is financially strapped and needs to grow. It currently communicates with 90% of the area's families with children under 3; many staff have worked for the program since its founding, and have the satisfaction now of seeing children they served early-on, being good parents for their own children. Child abuse and teen births are much lower than elsewhere, and child literacy is much higher. CHP is a model program -- it needs to grow, and you can help.

(1998: HUMAN SERVICES: Children and Youth: General)