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Children & Youth with Special Health Needs

Every child needs a well–functioning, community–based system of resources to reach his or her full potential. St. Louis County has multiple programs to connect families with community resources.

Children and Youth with Special Health Needs

Follow Along Program

The Follow Along Program (FAP) is an interagency effort to improve identification and service delivery for children birth to age three years (36 months) who may be at risk for health or developmental delays. Questionnaires are mailed throughout early childhood and ask how the child is growing, playing, talking, moving and acting.

Questionnaires are mailed throughout early childhood and asks about how your child is growing, playing, talking, moving, and acting.

Public Health sends age-appropriate, fun activities specific to the child’s developmental stages. If there are concerns, a Public Health Nurse contacts the parent/guardian to offer additional recommendations, refer the child to his/her health care provider, and/or refers the child to Help Me Grow for further developmental assessment. FAP provides the parent/guardian with information about community services upon request.

Enroll into the Follow Along Program

Birth Defects Monitoring and Analysis Program

The Minnesota Department of Health Birth Defects Monitoring and Analysis Program identifies children with birth defects and partners with St. Louis County Public Health. A Public Health Nurse works with the parent/guardian and other professionals involved in the care of the child to identify needs and develop a care coordination plan.

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program

Some degree of hearing loss is the most common health condition present at birth. Delays to hearing screening follow-up and early intervention services can affect a child’s quality of life.

The aim of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program is to improve healthcare access and the quality of services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Through the EHDI program, a Public Health Nurses (PHN) works with birth hospitals and midwives to ensure all newborns have access to hearing screening. A Public Health Nurse also helps children and families connect with educational, social, and community resources.