craigdailypress.com

Craig resident Vidya Patel came to the 15th annual Children's Health Fair with a straightforward goal in mind.

She wanted to learn whether her son, 3-year-old Shivam, was developmentally OK.

"I wanted to understand everything about my child -- his needs, his communication with other children, everything," Patel said Thursday afternoon. "It gave me that understanding."

Patel is one of more than 100 parents expected to bring their children to the two-day health fair, which started Thursday and concludes today. The fair, held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1295 W. Ninth St., is sponsored by Moffat County School District and coordinated by the district's Early Childhood Center.

Local health care professionals involved in the fair screened children for motor skills, speech and language abilities, and social and emotional development.

Early Childhood Center director Sara Hepworth said the screenings allow health professionals to spot any developmental "red flags."

"This is a snapshot, which leads to a referral," Hepworth said.

The referrals, she added, "eventually lead to what service can be provided" for the children's health care.

"Catching those (problems) early helps kids later on," Hepworth said.

Hepworth said the health fair has been a valuable tool in alerting parents to problems. A majority of health problems found during the fair stem from coordination or speech and communication skills.

It has also provided some parents, who wouldn't normally contact early childhood or health care professionals about concerns, a friendly atmosphere for screening their children, she said.

"It's just less threatening for some parents to come to this kind of an environment," Hepworth said.

The health fair will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. It is free and open to children ages 5 and younger; 5-year-olds are eligible only if they have not attended kindergarten.

Contributors to the health fair are: the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association, the Northwest Colorado Dental Coalition, Eye Care Specialties, the Craig Lion's Club and several specialists from the school district.