GO BABY GO: A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MODEL FOR BRIDGING BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN NATIVE AMERICAN CHILDREN

Purpose: To identify potential barriers and devise creative solutions to facilitate participation in a 'Go Baby Go' event among Native American Children living on the Navajo Nation.

Description:
For the 2022 "Go Baby Go" event, special consideration and planning was implemented to improve accessibility for children living on the Navajo Nation.

Summary of Use: Due to the rural and remote aspects of the Navajo Nation, multiple barriers limiting the participation for families living on the Navajo Nation were identified, including length of travel and lack of transportation required to participate, funding for transportation costs to attend the event, and poor health status of the children participating in the event. Potential solutions to these major barriers were identified with input from Northern Arizona University Institute for Human Development Staff who specialize in working with families and children on the Navajo Nation.
For families that identified transportation costs as a barrier, money for gas was offered to off-set some of the travel costs. If families were not able to attend due to lack of transportation, poor health status, or length of travel required, therapists that worked with the child were invited to participate. The build team, therapists, and family members collaborated to make appropriate alterations needed to "fine tune" the car before delivery. Treating therapists delivered the car to the family during their next scheduled therapy session.

Importance to Members: The strategies learned at the completion of this year's 'Go Baby Go' event offers a novel and effective way to increase participation for underserved children.