Metro United Way’s
Ages & Stages Developmental Screening Hub
Empowers families and caregivers with the knowledge to help their children reach their full potential.
A child’s brain develops more in the first five years of life than at any other time. During these years, understanding how a child is learning and growing, celebrating their strengths, and having the tools to support their development, will build the foundation for life-long learning.
What is Developmental Screening?
Developmental screening empowers parents and caregivers in their child’s early education by helping them understand how their child is growing and learning. By playing games and answering questions, parents and caregivers can get a quick check on a child’s milestones such as smiling, waving, walking and talking. Developmental screening can also help parents and caregivers know what milestones are appropriate for their child.
What Is the Developmental Screening HUB?
The Developmental Screening Hub is a free program for children 2 months to 5 ½ years of age. The Hub provides parents and caregivers with the opportunity to complete a developmental screening called the Ages & Stages Questionnaire®. If a parent has questions about their child’s development, or the screening identifies a child who needs a little encouragement, trained coordinators connect families to services that can help. If the family needs help in any area outside of education, the coordinators can connect them to other services.
Parents participating in the hub will:
- Receive a FREE Book upon completion.
- Discover their child’s strengths.
- Learn about developmentally appropriate developmental milestones.
- Identify areas of development that may need encouragement and/or support.
- Be connected to appropriate resources and community supports.
- Be able to monitor their child’s development over time.
What are the Ages & Stages Questionnaires
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires® are questionnaires which help parents and caregivers identify a child’s strengths and any areas that need encouragement and supports. They are completed every 3-6 months until the child turns 5-years-old. The questionnaires screen a child’s ability to:
- Communicate
- Move
- Think
- Help themselves
- Interact with others
- Regulate emotions
- Adapt to their environment
How does the Ages & Stages Developmental Screening Hub Work?
- Sign up for Ages & Stages Questionnaires® by filling out the form at the link below.
- Receive a link to complete the questionnaire in your email.
- Play some games with your child and answer some questions.
- Metro United Way will call you if we have questions about your responses.
- Receive a letter with the results, a FREE BOOK, helpful tips, fun activities and connections to resources.
- When it’s time, we’ll send you the next Questionnaire. We’ll keep sending them every few months until your child is 5 ½.
STORY:
ENSURING CHILDREN HAVE AN EQUITABLE START THROUGH FREE DEVELOPMENT SCREENINGS
Read a recent testimonial from a parent who has used the Ages and Stages Questionnaires for her three children.
Questions?
Email Metro United Way Manager, Developmental Screening, Kimberly Broecker below.
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