Every Child’s Right to Free Early Childhood Screening & Intervention as Needed

How can you tell if your baby or young child’s development is on track? And where do you turn if you are unsure? What can you do if you have concerns about your child's development? And where can you access free early childhood screening and intervention as needed?   Thanks to supporting partner Help Me Grow Minnesota, Dr. Heather Mueller, Commissioner of Education, joins Marti & Erin for a discussion every parent should hear. Early identification and intervention are key to successful learning for many of our children, including some in Marti & Erin’s family. Just as public education is free to all children in Minnesota, so too is early childhood screening, assessment, and intervention, regardless of a family’s income, zip code, ethnicity, or immigration status. If intervention is needed, it is provided at home, in childcare, or wherever the child spends the day. Families are central to each step of planning and service delivery, with their needs, wishes and priorities informing the goals of intervention. As Commissioner Mueller emphasizes, this is not only in the interest of the child and family being served, but it is in all our interest to have every child be educated in a way that allows them to fulfill their potential. When children succeed, our communities succeed.   IS YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT ON TRACK? Visit Help Me Grow's website and look closely at developmental milestones for your child’s age. What can you learn here about the extent to which your child’s development is on track? Do you see differences among the various domains of development? Now look at information on the site about how to arrange for your child to have a developmental screening. Even if you don’t have concerns, screening is a free and helpful way to learn more about your child’s development and how you can support your child’s growth and learning across all domains.   IS YOUR CHILD MEETING THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES? ❉ Help Me Grow. Check out Help Me Grow MN for information on developmental milestones, encouraging healthy development, and getting help if you have concerns about a child's development. You can also find Help Me Grow on Facebook and Instagram (developmental videos).   ❉ CDC on Developmental Milestones. Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's resources on child development. Track your child's development and get a downloadable PDF with developmental information by age. You can also learn about the Milestone Tracker app for monitoring your child's development.