Connecticut's new comprehensive and universal early childhood health assessment form.

Health assessments are required for entrance into child care, Head Start, and preschool programs. However, state and federal screening and documentation mandates vary, and programs create their own forms for keeping required data on file. Inconsistent recording formats present challenges for primary care providers who must document each child's health status and for program administrators who wish to collect data across groups of children. This article describes how the passage of new legislation in Connecticut establishing a statewide prekindergarten program presented the opportunity to develop a comprehensive early childhood health form for all early childhood programs, which promotes children's access to health services and coordination of care among health care professionals, early childhood providers, and families.