Children and Youth with Special Needs

When a child in Steele County is diagnosed with a special health need, the Minnesota Department of Health notifies the Child and Youth with Special Health Needs Coordinator at Public Health. The coordinator then connects with the family to help ensure they have the support, resources, and guidance they need as they navigate their child’s new diagnosis.

For more local information or support for your child, please contact us via phone or email. 
 

A picture of the Follow Along Program Duck Logo

Follow Along Program

The Follow Along Program is a free service that supports the healthy development of children from birth to age five. Every child grows and learns at their own pace, and some may need extra support with skills such as sitting, walking, or talking.

This program helps parents track their child’s development and identify whether additional support may be helpful in areas like moving, seeing, playing, talking, learning, and growing.


How it Works
  • Questionnaires are sent to you when your child reaches different ages from 1 to 5 years. Each questionnaire asks how your child is growing, playing, talking, moving, and behaving.
  • After completing the questionnaires, you will receive the results along with activities for you to do with your child.
  • If there are any questions or concerns, a staff person from the program will get in touch with you. Together, you can talk about choices for further evaluation or early support services.
How to Sign Up
Enroll your child through the Online Ages and Stages Questionnaire website hosted by Brookes’ Publishing Co., Inc. Through the online enrollment, you will provide the email address that you would like the questionnaires and results to be sent to.Follow Along Program Dragonfly Logo

Enroll in the Follow Along Program


Inscríbete en el Programa Síguelo

If you would like to complete the enrollment and questionnaires on paper, please call 507.444.7650 and request them to be mailed to you.

Parents will complete and return questionnaires from Steele County that ask about their child’s growth and development at different ages every 4-6 months. (If a child was born prematurely, the parent may be asked to complete some of the questionnaires after the child reaches a certain age).

Parent participation in the Follow Along Program is voluntary. A parent is not legally required to provide information to the program. If the parent does not provide the data requested, however, they may not be able to fully participate in the program. Steele County will not share private information about a child or a family with any person or agency outside of the program without the written permission from the parent, except as allowed by law or required by a court. A parent can withdraw their child from the Follow Along Program at any time by telling Steele County that they don’t want to continue with the program. If a parent withdraws, other services may still be available to them. Staff from the program will score a child’s questionnaire and inform the parent of the results. If the results show any areas of concern, a public health provider will contact the parent to talk about next steps. Parents will have access to all of the information about their family that they provide to the Follow Along Program.

 
If you have concerns about a child’s development, discuss them with your child’s health care provider and make a referral to Minnesota’s early intervention system, Help Me Grow. Accessing these services as early as possible will ensure the best outcomes for your child.

Contact Us

Steele County Annex                          635 Florence Ave                  Owatonna, MN 55060
507.444.7650 507.444.7668 SCPHN@SteeleCountyMn.gov