Community Health Workers Advancing Child Health Equity: Part II
Brief • May 23, 2024
Brief • May 23, 2024
Brief
A community health workforce can improve the health of children, particularly children of color, by connecting families to information, care, and services. They are trusted members of the communities they serve, creating a link between the community and health/social services, which are not always easy to navigate nor culturally responsive, to improve service access and quality. There are many terms to describe individuals who are part of a community health workforce including promotoras, doulas, community health advocates, and home visitors.
The state of California has made important strides to strengthen Medi-Cal and integrate community health workers into health care delivery. This brief, developed with The Children’s Partnership, presents programs including four First 5s, using community health workers to support the health and well-being of families with children in different regions of the state. The brief also offers five recommendations to state leaders to ensure successful implementation of the Medi-Cal community health worker benefit for children in California.
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