Follow Along Program

The Follow Along Program is a free service that supports families with babies and young children as they grow and learn. Local public health teams send families a form every few months with questions about their child’s progress. Once the form is returned, families receive fun activities to do with their child to help them explore and learn through play. Public health staff are also available to answer questions and connect families with resources and services, if needed. 

Enroll online

What is the Follow Along Program?

It is a fun and easy way to… 

• learn about your child's health and development.
• get ideas about what to teach and what age to teach it to your child.
• ask questions about how your child is hearing, moving, seeing, playing, talking, learning, and growing.
• find out about our services you may want for your child or family. 

How does the Follow Along Program work?

• Public health staff, most often a nurse, may visit with you (in person or over the phone) to tell you more about the program and find out more about your child.
• Questionnaires are sent to you when your child reaches different ages from 1 to 36 months old (and sometimes until 5 ½ years old, depending on the county). Each questionnaire asks how your child is growing, playing, talking, moving, and learning.  An example questionnaire is available as a PDF.)
• Handouts with fun activities for you to do with your child are also sent to you.
• The results of the questionnaires will be shared with you. If there are any concerns, a nurse or other professional from the program will get in touch with you. Together, you can talk about options for further evaluation or other programs that support early learning.
• When your child is 36 months old, you will get information about Early Childhood Screening. 

Is there a cost?

It's free! There is no cost to you. There is no proof of citizenship, immigration status, or financial status requirement. There is also no risk of public charge.  

How Do I Sign Up?

Enroll online

OR contact your local public health department to sign your child / family up for the Follow Along Program (select your county on the map below or click here to see the entire list of contacts).

What if I have concerns about how my child is learning and growing right now? 

If you have concerns about how your child is learning and growing , discuss them with your child's health care provider and make a referral to Help Me Grow, Minnesota's early intervention system.

For additional program information, contact the state program coordinator at health.cyshn@state.mn.us or toll free 1-800-728-5420.