OKZ

The Department of Parent and Child Care (OKZ) is a part of the Foundation for Public Health of the Wit Gele Kruis Aruba. This department focuses on the health, well-being, and development of children aged 0-4 in Aruba. We do this in close collaboration with the Youth Doctors of the Department of Youth Health Care of the Directorate of Public Health.

Mission: “Our mission is to help children grow up healthy and safe and to develop optimally. We do this together with the parents. We strive for equal opportunities for all children. We put extra effort into supporting families that need it the most.”

Vision: “Children aged 0-4 in Aruba grow up healthy, safe, and develop optimally.”

Our Main Activities:

Consultation centers for infants; including Bureau catch-up vaccination program
Bureau of Dental Care and Nutrition Advice & Dietetics for children
Bureau of Parenting Questions and Education (BOVV)
Guidance of children by nurses and home visits based on indication

Prevention is the core of our department. The main task is to identify problems in the areas of health and development. We also provide vaccinations according to the vaccination program. Additionally, we offer parents information and advice about the growth, nutrition, and upbringing of their child, and if necessary, we can refer parents to other caregivers and institutions. Our care is provided from 4 community buildings: San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, Dakota, Noord. The OKZ department consists of 13 staff members.

Education:

3 nurses level 5
7 nurses level 4
2 caregivers level 3
1 caregiver level 2

Specialization:

2 Pediatric Nurse
2 nurses with an Infant Mental Health specialization
1 nurse with an Obstetrics & Gynecology specialization
4 nurses with a Neonatal Hearing Screening specialization

Trainings:

Basic Life Support/CPR training every 2 years
Professional development training for 0-4 year olds every 3 years, to maintain the expertise and knowledge of the staff and ensure the quality of care.
Participation in training and presentations related to our target group of 0-4 year olds