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INFORMATION FOR FAMILIES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If your question is not answered here, please contact the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434, Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 8:30am to 4:00pm, or email us at kidsnet@health.ri.gov.
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT KIDSNET
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PARENTS’ RIGHTS
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT KIDSNET
What is KIDSNET used for?
KIDSNET keeps track of immunizations, lead screenings, and other preventive care services your child might receive. KIDSNET uses this information to remind families and doctors when children need some of those services, to coordinate care, and for other public health purposes. KIDSNET is particularly useful to families whose children have been to different doctors. For example, if your child changed pediatric providers in Rhode Island (and the doctors participate in KIDSNET), your child’s new doctor can access your child’s record in KIDSNET and see if he or she is up to date in services such as immunizations and lead screening.
How do I know if my child’s information is in KIDSNET?
Your child’s information is in KIDSNET if he or she:
- Was born in Rhode Island on or after January 1, 1997;
- Was born before 1997 and received an immunization from a KIDSNET provider.
- Lives outside of Rhode Island but receives primary healthcare from a participating Rhode Island pediatric provider or program; or
- Receives services through one of the KIDSNET affiliated programs (such as Family Outreach, Early Intervention, or WIC).
What information does KIDSNET have about my child?
KIDSNET contains information such as your child’s name, the name of the child’s parents or guardians, your child’s address, and your child’s doctor. As your child grows, KIDSNET will receive more information from your child’s doctor and other programs and will add this information to your child’s record. This information includes: immunizations, results of the developmental assessment, hearing and metabolic screening for newborns, lead screening, results from blood lead tests, home visits, and whether your child has participated in Early Intervention and/or WIC Programs.
How long has KIDSNET been around?
KIDSNET started collecting information from all births in Rhode Island on January 1, 1997. For more facts about KIDSNET, click here.
How many children are in KIDSNET in Rhode Island?
As of April 2007, there were 204,114 children in KIDSNET. That number keeps growing because every birth in Rhode Island is entered into the database. KIDSNET also receives information about children who move into Rhode Island from other states or countries and are seeing a participating pediatric provider or program in Rhode Island.
Is KIDSNET for all babies born in Rhode Island, regardless of parents’ residence?
Yes. All children born in Rhode Island are enrolled in KIDSNET. Children who were not born in the state but live in Rhode Island will also be included in KIDSNET when they see a Rhode Island pediatrician (if this doctor participates in KIDSNET).
Is there a fee for my child to be in KIDSNET?
No. KIDSNET does not charge anything for your child to be in the system.
Is information in KIDSNET available nationwide?
KIDSNET information is NOT available nationwide. It is only accessible to pediatric providers and other users in Rhode Island. See Who uses KIDSNET? for more information.
Do other states have KIDSNET or a similar system?
Yes, many states have similar systems to keep track of services provided to young children. Like Rhode Island, other states use this information to ensure that children receive healthcare services at the right time and also to remind parents and doctors about services that children may need.
How does KIDSNET get information about my child?
Public health programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program send information to KIDSNET on a regular basis electronically. Immunization information is provided by the pediatric practices participating in KIDSNET.
ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY AND PARENTS’ RIGHTS
Is the information in KIDSNET confidential?
Yes. KIDSNET protects information in the system very carefully. Only authorized users have access to KIDSNET. Healthcare providers, school nurse teachers, Head Start nurses, and staff from KIDSNET and its participating programs are authorized users.
Access to KIDSNET is on a “need to know” basis. This means that users can only have access to the information in KIDSNET that is needed in order to provide services or to coordinate care for your child. For a list of all participating doctors and users of KIDSNET, click here  .
See the users and confidentiality sections for more information.
What are my rights as a parent?
As a parent, you can:
- See the information that KIDSNET has about your child. If your child’s doctor participates in KIDSNET, you can ask him/her to give you a copy of the information.
- Correct the information KIDSNET has about your child, if you think the information is incorrect. Please let your child’s doctor know if there is incorrect information in KIDSNET.
- Ask questions about the information that is in KIDSNET by contacting the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434.
- Restrict or block access to your child’s information in KIDSNET. For details about how to do this, click here or call the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434, weekdays from 8:30am to 4:00pm.
Can I have my child’s information removed from KIDSNET?
Public health programs rely on KIDSNET for monitoring and tracking important health trends such as vaccine usage. Your child’s information cannot be removed, but it can be blocked or restricted.
I’d like to know more about restricting access to my child’s information. What does that mean?
Parents have the right to “block” their child’s information in KIDSNET. This can be accomplished in one of two ways:
- “Total” Block: The child’s entire record is blocked from view and can only be seen by KIDSNET staff at the Department of Health.
- “Limited” Block: The child’s information related to enrollment in WIC or Early Intervention (EI) is blocked from view and can only be seen by the Department of Health staff.
Please note that if you request a “total” or “limited” block:
- You can restore the information (get rid of the block) at any time by calling the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434.
- Authorized users at the Department of Health will still have access to the child’s information, as the Rhode Island agency responsible for public health.
- You will not receive postcards from KIDSNET as a reminder to have your child screened for lead at 12 months of age.
- Your child’s information will not be included in any reports that KIDSNET sends to doctors to remind them of possible need of immunizations, lead screenings, or other services.
- Your child’s doctor will continue to send immunization information to KIDSNET.
I think I want to restrict access to my child’s information. What do I do?
If you are a parent or guardian and are interested in knowing more about restricting access to your child’s information in KIDSNET, follow these steps:
- First, contact the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434, weekdays from 8:30am to 4:00pm, and talk to one of the KIDSNET representatives for additional information.
- If you are still interested in restricting access to your child’s information, you will need to complete a form. The Help Desk staff will send the form to the child’s doctor or to a KIDSNET affiliated office.
- The parent/guardian will then go to that office and sign the form with a staff member serving as a witness.
- The office will mail the form back to the Department of Health.
- KIDSNET staff will make the appropriate changes to the child’s record and will sign and file the form for future reference.
Is the information in KIDSNET available directly to parents and guardians?
No. If you need to have your child’s record printed or if you would like to see what is in it, contact your child’s doctor.
Can I get a copy of my child's immunization history?
If your child’s doctor is participating with KIDSNET, you can get a copy of the immunization history by contacting the doctor.
What if my child’s information in KIDSNET is incorrect?
If any information is incorrect or incomplete, ask your child’s doctor to change it or call the HEALTH Information Line at 1-800-942-7434.
Why do school nurses and Head Start staff have access to the information in KIDSNET?
School nurse teachers need to know if children are up to date on their immunizations before starting school. Head Start Coordinators need to know if children are up to date on their immunizations and lead screenings before being enrolled into the program. KIDSNET allows these professionals access to information to make it easy for parents and schools to register children and to avoid unnecessary delays.
How can I find out if my child’s doctor participates in KIDSNET?
The list of participating doctors is regularly updated and is available in the Who Uses KIDSNET? section.
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