Kids don’t come with instructions.  Sometimes parents have concerns about their child’s physical and social/emotional development.  Parents in our community can have a developmental screening for their child free of charge.   The screenings are sponsored by the Hays Inter-agency Coordinating Council (HICC).

To schedule a screening YOU MUST R.S.V.P. to Brandon at 625-3257 between the hours of 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

Screening Calendar for 2017-2018
August 25: Hays Area Children’s Center (HACC)
September 15: First United Methodist Church (FUMC)
October 13: HACC
November 10: Messiah Lutheran Church (MLC)
December 8: HACC
January 12: HACC
February 9: FUMC
March 9: HACC
April 6: MLC
May 4: HACC

Speech Language Pathologist Susan Bowles talks about the HICC Developmental Screenings:

Developmental Screenings Frequently Asked Questions
What is a developmental screening?
A developmental screening is a way of checking a child’s progress in the areas of speech, language,
vision, hearing, thinking, personal-social behavior and motor (movement) development.

Who can be screened?
Children birth to school age in Ellis and Rush counties may be screened.

Who conducts the screening; is it someone I can trust?
The screenings are conducted by area professionals such as a school psychologist,
a speech-language pathologist, a registered nurse and early childhood teachers.

How much does it cost?
The screenings are offered free of charge thanks to the sponsorship of the Hays Interagency Coordinating Council.

Where are the screenings located?
The screenings are conducted at selected screening sites in Ellis and Rush counties.

When are the screenings offered?
They are offered on a monthly basis.

How do I schedule a screening for my child?
Call HACC at (785) 625-3257

If, after the screening areas of concern are noted services can be provided (free of charge) by Early Childhood Professionals to address those problems.  These services are called Infant/toddler Early Intervention Services.

Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services
The Hays Area Children’s Center (HACC) is contracted with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) for the provision of special services for infants and toddlers in Ellis and Rush counties.  Comprehensive services are provided to families at no charge by a special education teacher, speech-language pathologists, physical and occupational therapists, a registered nurse, a social worker and other professionals as needed.

The United Way of Ellis County helps fund the Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services program.

Registered Nurse Beth Fisher (from HACC) talks about the importance of Early Childhood Vision Screenings:

Registered Nurse Monica Ptacek (Connections 0 to 3) talks about the importance of Early Childhood Hearing Screenings: