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Managing your child’s health at school

Learn more about Health & Safety specific to the 2022-2023 school year  →

Healthcare Forms for Enrollment

Based on your student’s age and upcoming grade, the following should be completed by your child’s healthcare providers before scheduling an enrollment meeting with your child’s school.

Learn more about the enrollment process →

All students

Physical Exam – required for students who have never attended a Maryland Public School, including Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten.

Immunization Form – required for students who have never attended a Maryland Public School, including Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Proof of immunizations from a Maryland school outside of Howard County can also be used. Learn more about immunizations requirements

Dental Exam – HCPSS strongly urges families to have children visit their dentist at least once a year, please have your dentist examine your child and complete this form before registration.

Health Survey Form – parents/guardians should complete this HCPSS Health Services form

Lead Testings

Lead Testing Form – required for enrolling a child in child care, pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or first grade.

Frequent Health Topics

Medications

Students can take their medications, whether prescribed or over the counter, in the health room during the school day.

Learn about our medication procedures and complete a form to get medications to school →

Allergies

EpiPens must be provided by parents for use during school hours. Additionally, parents can notify the school about food allergies and accommodations can be made.

Read about our allergy procedures and fill out a form →

Diabetes

If a student is diabetic there are a few extra forms to fill out and the school requires a notice from a family physician.

Find out more about how your student can manage their diabetes at school →

Telehealth at Elementary Schools

Telehealth services are currently offered at Cradlerock, Deep Run, Ducketts Lane, Hanover Hills, Phelps Luck, Running Brook and Talbott Springs elementary schools, and Lake Elkhorn Middle School. The program is optional, and families may decline to take part. Families are not responsible for paying a co-pay or for any amount unpaid by their health insurance company. The telehealth program, offered in partnership with Howard County Health Department, connects a child in the health room with a health care provider in another location. This allows children who need health services to be treated in school, so they miss less class time.

Communicable Diseases

HCPSS families may deal with communicable diseases, such as lice, fever, etc. Learn how these conditions are managed at school, and how they can be handled at home

Field Trips

Student medications and diabetic management routines are still followed on overnight and school day field trips.

Paperwork for upcoming field trips are usually administered by the school, including medical procedure forms. However, to best prepare for an upcoming field trip, view the health form for extended trips.

Medications that are normally given during the school day do not need a new form filled out.

Learn more about getting other medications administered during field trips.

Diabetic student? Find out how to plan for an upcoming field trip.

Vision and Hearing Screenings in Schools

Howard County screens children new to the Maryland school system and those in Pre-K or Kindergarten, first and eighth grades.

Find out more about screenings →

Sexual Health and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Awareness

HCPSS and the Howard County Health Department (HCHD) have launched an awareness campaign to inform high school students about the risks of STIs and offer free, confidential screening tests and access to treatment. This initiative, “I Want the Kit” (IWTK), is co-sponsored and funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).

Learn about the initiative →

Juuling and Vaping

6/19/2020: Howard County Board Joins Class Action Lawsuit Against JUUL Labs, Inc.

Juuling and the use of other forms of vaporized nicotine (vaping) are on the rise among alarming numbers of teens, and even younger children. These products are extremely addictive and can cause significant, lifelong damage to the developing brain.

A Juul is a popular brand of vaping product that can be inhaled in a matter of seconds but contains as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. A Juul looks similar in size and shape to a flash or thumb drive and is activated through a computer’s USB port. It can be especially appealing to teens because it is available in flavored scents and its use is widely encouraged on social media and YouTube. Many teens who would never consider smoking tobacco, regularly enjoy juuling and are unaware of its health risks.

Juuls are easily ordered online and can be concealed in a backpack, pocket or purse. Too often, parents and teachers are unaware that students are juuling or vaping because the products can be very difficult to detect, even when used during class.

The following resources can support parents and guardians in protecting their children and educating them about the risks of vaporized nicotine.

Accident and Medical Insurance

Accident Insurance

The school system does not carry medical insurance for accidents that occur at school, including non-sport related injuries, such as trips and falls, physical education injuries, and recess/playground injuries. Thus, parents are encouraged to enroll students in the accident insurance program offered through HCPSS.

Learn more about how to obtain accident insurance.

Medical Insurance

The Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (MCHIP) is available for families, pregnant women, and children in need of medical insurance. Applications are available through the school health assistant or by contacting the Howard County Health Department at 410-313-7500.

Find out more about qualifying for MCHIP.

Aggregate Student Health Data Collection

As part of a Data Sharing Agreement with the Howard County Health Department (HCHD), HCPSS will collect bi-annually the program evaluation data, and share the data in the aggregate with HCHD for program evaluation purposes. Learn more about the aggregate data collected and shared with the Health Department →