DC Health has announced a significant change in the administration of its School Health Services Program (SHSP). Starting June 29, the program will transition from being staffed by Children's School Services to direct hires with DC Health. This move is intended to streamline operations, improve accountability, and enhance health services for over 90,000 students across 186 public and public charter schools in the District.
Dr. Ayanna Bennett, Director of DC Health, expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership with Children’s School Services: “We are incredibly grateful for the over 25 years of partnership and collaboration with Children’s School Services that helped shape the School Health Services Program into what it is today.” She reassured families that students would continue receiving trusted care while focusing on access, continuity, and support for student health.
The transition means DC Health will now manage all functions previously handled by Children’s National Hospital's Children’s School Services. These include staffing school health suites with licensed nurses and allied health professionals, providing daily onsite health assessments and first aid, supporting students with chronic conditions through Individualized Health Plans (IHPs), reviewing student health records, and referring students to necessary healthcare providers.
Health suite operations will maintain their current schedule, with staff available at schools from 8 am to 4:30 pm each day. Parents will still receive alerts about health requirements to ensure compliance with DC school standards.
Two remaining School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) at Cardozo Learning Center and H.D. Woodson Senior High School will continue under Unity Health Care's management.
Further information about SHSP and SBHCs can be found at dchealth.dc.gov/service/school-health.
Alerts Sign-up