For Families

Welcome to the "For Families" section of the BC Early Hearing Program website. Several parents and professionals have worked together to develop this site, and we hope you find the information helpful and easy to find. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to Contact us.

What is the BC Early Hearing Program?

The BC Early Hearing Program (BCEHP) is a province-wide program for early hearing screening and intervention announced by the provincial government in March 2005. The program is delivered by health care professionals and service providers in BC's health authorities. Screening of all newborns in the province was phased in beginning fall 2007. At the end of 2008, about 90% of all babies born in BC were being screened.

Knowing that your baby has good hearing is important. Babies begin to learn speech and language from the moment they are born. If your baby can’t hear well, he or she may have problems developing language skills and learning to talk. Newborn hearing tests are important for families, because much can be done if hearing loss is caught early in a baby’s life.

About one of every 300 babies is born with a hearing loss in one or both ears. This number increases for babies who require special care at birth.

Most babies born with a hearing loss are born into families with no history of hearing loss. It is not easy to identify that a young baby has a hearing loss by simply watching his or her behaviour. Without early screening, many babies with hearing loss go undetected until later in childhood. Even if no one in your family has a hearing loss, it is important to have your baby’s hearing screened.

The BCEHP provides the following services:

• Hearing screening of all newborns in BC (go to information about Screening)
• Hearing Assessment of young children who do not pass screening, have risk factors for hearing loss, and/or have a permanent hearing loss (go to information about Assessment)
• Provision of Hearing devices for children with permanent hearing loss (go to the Hearing Equipment Plan page)
• Early Intervention services (go to the Early Intervention page)
• Parent-to-Parent Support through Guide By Your Side (go to the GBYS page)