Nov. 12 – Boost your Help Me Connect skills! 

Join Help Me Connect monthly technical assistance sessions where you’ll learn practical tips and tools to make the most of Help Me Connect. Sessions are every second Wednesday at noon. Come with your questions, share ideas, and walk away with new skills to support families and partners more effectively. 

Nov. 13 – CYSHN condition follow-up community of practice 

The next virtual CYSHN condition follow-up community of practice for LPH is Thursday, Nov. 13 from 9 - 10:30 a.m. The purpose of these meetings is to provide routine opportunities for local public health nurses who provide follow-up for children referred by CYSHN programs (Birth Defects, EHDI, Heritable Conditions, cCMV) to learn condition-specific information and discuss nursing practice.

Nov. 18 – Anyone can be a vaccine advocate lunch and learn 

Learn how to be a vaccine advocate! The anyone can be a vaccine advocate training aims to empower non-clinical participants to become effective vaccine advocates for families. On Tuesday, Nov. 18 at noon, you can learn the basics on immunizations and the diseases they prevent, vaccine safety, and how to talk about vaccines with families. Participants will learn strategies for addressing vaccine misinformation, navigating sensitive conversations with empathy, and promoting the importance of vaccines confidently and respectfully. This training is ideal for anyone who works with parents or families and could encounter a conversation about vaccines. Continuing education credits are available for participants. 

Nov. 19 – Disability History: a Conversation with Dr. Colleen Wieck

Dec. 2 – Introduction to ASQ training  

The next Introduction to Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) training will be held Tuesday, Dec. 1, from 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. via Microsoft Teams. This training is intended for family home visitors who want an introduction to understanding the use and purpose of these developmental and social emotional screening tools. The training is also open to local public health staff implementing the Follow Along Program. Please visit the family home visiting training and professional development webpage under ‘current trainings’ for more information and to register.  

Dec. 3, March 3, and June 2 – Webinar series on caring for American Indian and Alaska Native youth 

Join a free, multi-part series designed for health professionals who work with and serve American Indian and Alaska Native children. This series will take place at noon on Dec. 3, 2025, March 3, 2026, and June 2, 2026, with additional fall dates pending, and will explore practical strategies through culturally informed care to strength skills and relations to support Native youth, families, and communities across the state and beyond. Register now for the December session, Critical Background Knowledge for Collaborating with and Providing Care for AIAN Communities.

This series is supported and brought to you in partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School, the Center for American Indian and Minority Health, and the Minnesota Department of Health. If you have any questions, please contact the Center of American Indian and Minority Health at 218-726-7235. 

Department of Revenue: Minnesota families can still claim income tax credits

Did you know that families can go back up to 3 ½ years from the tax filing due date (typically April 15) to claim most income tax credits they qualify for? Spread the word that it may not be too late to claim the Child Tax Credit, Renter’s Credit, Working Family Credit, and other income tax credits. Visit the Missed the April 15 Due Date? webpage from the Minnesota Department of Revenue for information on how to claim a tax refund after missing the due date.

Condition Follow-up  

Complete nursing follow-up documentation in MEDSS by the end of the quarter after the one in which the referral was made. For example, if the date the event was sent to local public health is July 15 (in quarter 3), the follow-up documentation should be submitted by Dec. 31 (the end of quarter 4).   

Invoice letters are sent to local public health by MDH in the month following the end of the quarter in which documentation was submitted, or training was completed. So, in the example, the invoice letter would be sent to local public health some time before Jan. 31 (the month following the end of quarter 4).  

Follow Along Program  

Follow Along Program semi-annual data reports are due every 6 months. Data for quarters 1 and 2 are due annually on July 31. Data for quarters 3 and 4 are due annually on January 31. Invoices for quarters 1 and 2 are due each year on August 20. Invoices for quarters 3 and 4 are due each year on February 20. Semi-annual data reports must be received prior to the invoice being paid. 

Children and Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHN) section staff at MDH work together to champion the health and well-being of people living in Minnesota with special health needs and disabilities, from the earliest states of life through transition to adulthood. 

As the Child and Family Health Division works to coordinate and collaborate on communication, this newsletter may evolve to include a broader focus, but the following CYSHN programs are the primary focus: Birth Defects; Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI); Heritable Conditions (HC); Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV); Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD); Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS); and the Follow Along Program (FAP).