OCID’s analysis Complex Medical and Social Needs in Early Childhood examines data available to OCID on young children with medical complexity and certain social and environmental experiences at age 5 to describe the many systems and situations that may affect early childhood well-being and readiness to learn. The data interactive below accompanies the analysis and allows for further exploration of the data presented in the analysis briefs.

Medical complexity refers to a classification of children who experience chronic disease. We used the Pediatric Medical Complexity Algorithm to determine the following groups of children:

• Complex chronic: History of more than 1 chronic condition or of progressive or malignant conditions
• Noncomplex chronic: History of 1 chronic condition lasting at least 1 year
• Nonchronic: No history of chronic conditions

We also explored the presence of 6 early childhood social and environmental experiences among children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP to investigate the intersection between medical complexity, social and environmental experiences, child well-being, and readiness to learn. These included:

• 3 child-level factors
  • Out-of-home foster care: History of having a foster care removal
  • Substantiated maltreatment: Ever having at least one substantiated maltreatment case
  • Deep poverty: Ever having received TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
• 3 parent-level factors
  • Parent disability: Parent had a documented disability, measured by Medicaid enrollment status
  • Parent mental health treatment: Parent had a history of mental health treatment
  • Parent substance use disorder (SUD): Parent had a documented SUD diagnosis in Medicaid claims