Maternal and Child Health Bureau

US Department of Health and Human Services (2006) Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Child Health USA 2004. Rockville, Maryland, http //mchb.hrsa.gov/mchirc/chusa 04/ pages/0431can.htm (accessed 10 September 2006)... 

Acknowledgments. Mark Waist s work on this article was supported by cooperative agreement U93 MC 00174 from the Office of Adolescent Health, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V, Social Security Act), Health Resources and Services Administration, with cofunding by the Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health Services Administration. 

Maternal and Child Health Bureau (2002). About MCHB. http //www.mchb.hrsa.gov. 

The Initiative is housed in the Department of Health s Office of School Health. The Office, with its 23 staff members, is in the Health Systems Bureau of the Public Health Division. The Office of School Health has grown dramatically in the last few years, with the expansion of the New Mexico School Mental Health Initiative (Adelman et al., 1999 Adelsheim, 2000 Adelsheim, Carrillo, Coletta, 2001 Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2001). Funded initially by a Federal Maternal and Child Health grant, this collaboration of state agencies, schools, families, and community partners has made great strides in expanding both programs and support for addressing the mental health needs of students so they may be successful in school. 

It is estimated that between 15 and 20% of children in the United States have a significant ongoing need for health care (Newacheck et al., 1998). In order to clearly define the group of children and youth discussed in this paper, the term children with special health care needs as defined by the Federal Bureau of Maternal and Child Health will be used. Children with special health care needs are those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition, and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally (American Academy of Pediatrics (aap), 1993). This definition includes children with chronic illness that is defined as a condition that lasts at least 3 months and requires extensive hospitalization or in-home health services (aap, 1993). 

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