Kids First Health Care

Background Statement

Kids First Health Care founded Colorado's first school-based health center (SBHC) in 1978 with a five-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with the belief that all children deserve access to high quality, affordable health care regardless of their ability to pay for services. In 1979, we began providing services to children in a pediatric health center located in Commerce City's Adams County School District 14 (Adams 14). We have since expanded significantly, establishing seven additional SBHCs in four school districts: Adams City Middle School (ACMS) in Adams 14; Kearney Middle School (Kearney) in Adams 14; Adams City High School (ACHS) in Adams 14; Lester Arnold High School (Lester Arnold) in Adams 14; Gregory Hill Early Childhood Center (GH) in Westminster Public Schools (WPS); Thornton High School (THS) in Adams 12 Five Star Schools (Adams 12); and Brighton High School (BHS) in 27J Schools (27J).

To complement our school-based pediatric services, we began providing school nursing services to Adams 14 in 1982 and WPS in 2005. An early proponent of integrated care, Kids First first began integrating mental health care services into our clinics in the mid-1990s. In 2000, we introduced a health insurance outreach and enrollment program to improve families' coverage and our ability to bill for services to increase organizational sustainability. In 2015, we began offering dedicated patient navigation and health education services. Starting in 2017, we launched a preventative dental program in partnership with other community health care providers. Dental services are now available at three of our locations. Most recently, we launched telehealth services for primary care appointments and mental health visits. These additional programs enable Kids First to provide a highly accessible and supportive continuum of care for Colorado children and youth who might otherwise have difficulty affording or accessing care.