The work involved a formal evaluation of the Western Cape developmental screening programme on behalf of the provincial Department of Health. The evaluation was done in collaboration with the developmental disability division of the Child Health Unit at the University of Cape Town. While focused at provincial level, the evaluation had the potential to influence a national developmental screening policy.
The need to develop an appropriate, standardised developmental screening programme for children emerged at a national roundtable on developmental screening hosted in 1995 by the Children Institute's predecessor, the Child Health Policy Institute. In response, the Western Cape government adopted and implemented a new developmental screening programme between 1999 and 2001.
A year after it started, the Children's Institute was requested to do a formal evaluation of of the programme. The evaluation aimed to provide information to assist the further planning and implementation of the developmental screening programme in the province; to define a framework for national developmental screening programmes; and to set a baseline for future monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
The evaluation was commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Health.
Further reading
Evaluation of the Western Cape Province Screening Programme for developmental disabilities in pre-school children: Full report
Michelson L, Adnams C & Shung-King M November 2003
Evaluation of the Western Cape Province Screening Programme for developmental disabilities in pre-school children: A summary report
Michelson L, Adnams C, Shung-King M May 2003
Western Cape leads with a unique developmental screening programme
Adnams C, Michelson L & Shung-King M
In: Nursing Update, November 2003
Published by the Democratic Nurses Organisation of South Africa.
The Western Cape Screening Programme for developmental disabilities in pre-school children: Results of an evaluation
Michelson L, Adnams C & Shung-King M September 2003
In: MCH News Issue No. 20