Easter Seals and CVS Caremark Celebrate Week of the Young Child(™)

April 10, 2014 /3BL Media/ - The Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), aims to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize organizations like Easter Seals that help to meet those needs. In addition to providing services for kids with disabilities, developmental delays and autism, Easter Seals is raising awareness around preventative developmental health screenings for young children and advocating for funding around early intervention through its Make the First Five Count® initiative.

According to the National Survey of Children's Health 2007, one in five households with children has a child with a special health care need and could benefit from screening and services, yet less than 20 percent of children under the age of five receive a developmental screening.  Easter Seals, through the generous support of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, makes it possible for parents and caregivers to advocate for their child's health with a free online health screening.

Traditionally used by clinicians, therapists, professionals, and educators, Brookes Publishing's Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)® is available to parents and caregivers on www.easterseals.com .

"Easter Seals is thrilled to be making the industry-standard child development screening tool available to parents, for free and online for the very first time," said James E. Williams, Jr., president and chief executive officer, Easter Seals. 

"We are very proud to support Easter Seals as they strive to get all kids screened - as early as possible," says Eileen Howard Boone, President, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.  "We know that the first five years of a child's development are critical to a child's success and we hope this online screening tool will make it easy for parents to screen their child."

Screenings Offer a Solution "We want every parent and caregiver to feel equipped with the tools they need on the path to better family health," said Katy Neas, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Easter Seals. "The ASQ is an effective first step toward identifying if a child could benefit from early intervention services." Earlier detection gives children that critical window of opportunity and access to early intervention and treatment.

About CVS Caremark All Kids Can CVS Caremark All Kids Can™, a program of the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and supported by CVS Caremark, is a commitment to making life easier for children with disabilities. Through this signature program, CVS Caremark and the Trust will support nonprofit organizations that provide innovative programs and services in local communities focused on helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life. CVS Caremark selected Easter Seals as a national partner in All Kids Can when the program was introduced in 2006. 

Since that time, the company, its foundation and its associates have contributed more than $60 million to support Easter Seals services in local communities nationwide. To learn more about the CVS Caremark All Kids Can Program and its support of Easter Seals, visit www.cvsallkidscan.com/partners/easter-seals .

About Easter Seals Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and other special needs. For nearly 100 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities, and to the families who love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with disabilities can live, learn, work and play. Learn more at www.easterseals.com