C&TC is Minnesota's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program. EPSDT, a federal program, provides coverage of comprehensive and periodic health checkup services to all Medicaid enrolled children from birth through age 20 years.

Screening requirements (refer to C&TC Schedule of Age-Related Screening Standards):

Developmental and social-emotional surveillance is a required component of an EPSDT screening at every visit. Developmental and emotional screening is strongly recommended at minimum at every visit indicated on the C&TC periodicity schedule
DHS strongly recommends that a recommended instrument be used for developmental screening, minimally at the age of 9, 18, 24-30 months and at 3-4 years.
To select the developmental instrument for your program:
- Medical C&TC clinics refer to: C&TC Developmental and Social-Emotional Screening in the Clinic Setting.
Due to higher risk of social-emotional delays and concerns among the C&TC-eligible population, separate social-emotional screening is strongly recommended beginning at 6 months of age, using a recommended standardized instrument.
Postpartum depression screening is recommended at infant well visits.

Early Childhood Screening

MDE Early Childhood Screening website

Early Childhood Health and Developmental Screening, provided by local school districts (and some charter schools), identifies possible health or developmental concerns in children who may need further health and mental health assessments or education evaluations. Screening supports children’s learning and promotes health and development. Early Childhood Screening may link families to other early learning opportunities for their child, such as:

Early Childhood Family Education
School Readiness
District preschool or prekindergarten
Head Start
Early Learning Scholarships for High Quality Childcare
Home visiting

Screening requirements:

Screening is required for young children at least once before enrollment, or within the first 30 days of kindergarten or first grade in a public school. Screening is also required within the first 90 days of the following programs if not completed previously: school readiness, school readiness plus, voluntary prekindergarten, early learning scholarships. The program targets children between 3 and 4 years of age.
Both an MDE/MDH/DHS-approved observational developmental screening instrument and a parent-report social-emotional screening instrument must be used by school districts to receive state aid for Early Childhood Screening. The comprehensive screening also includes hearing, vision, height, weight, and reviews of: immunizations, health care coverage, and risk factors which may influence learning. A summary meeting with the parent to review screening results, referrals and a follow up plan, if needed, is also provided. The requirements for this program are outlined in Minnesota Statutes 121A.16 - 121A.19, and Minnesota Rules 3530.3000 – 3530.4310.
A parent may submit a comparable screening to a district to meet this requirement from Head Start, a clinic, or public health (C&TC). A parent may also conscientiously object to screening by submitting a statement in writing to the district screening program. Minnesota Statute 121A.17.

Follow Along Program

MDH Follow Along Program website

The Follow Along Program, administered through local public health departments, is a developmental and social-emotional screening program targeted for children ages birth to 36 months. Children who are identified are referred for further medical, mental health and educational evaluation and services.

Screening requirements:

The Ages and Stages Questionnaires, 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional-2nd edition (ASQ: SE-2) are the only screening instruments used in this program.
At a minimum, all families enrolled in the Follow Along Program receive ongoing early childhood anticipatory guidance, three age-appropriate ASQ-3 intervals and one ASQ:SE-2 interval by 36 months of age, and assistance with referrals and access to services when necessary.

Head Start and Early Head Start

Head Start website

Head Start and Early Head Start promote school readiness by enhancing children's social and cognitive development through the provision for health, education, nutritional, social, and other services to low-income children and their families.

Screening requirements:

Within 30 calendar days of a child's entry into a program, all children are required to have an up-to-date, age appropriate, preventive health care checkup. In addition, hemoglobin and hematocrit, blood lead, immunizations, height and weight and calculation of BMI must be completed. Screening must incorporate the requirements of the schedule used by the state's EPSDT program (C&TC in Minnesota). Minnesota Rules 9503.0140: When state, tribal, or local requirements vary from Head Start requirements, the most stringent provision takes precedence. §1301.21(6)(d)
Within 45 calendar days of a child's entry, agencies must perform or obtain linguistically- and age-appropriate screening procedures to identify concerns regarding a child's developmental, sensory (visual and auditory), behavior, motor, language, social, cognitive, perceptual, and emotional skills.

Family Home Visiting

Family Home Visiting Program

The Family Home Visiting Program supports families experiencing a pregnancy or who have an infant or young children. Home visitors work together with families to support healthy parent-child relationships. Families also receive information on infant care, child growth and development, parenting approaches, disease prevention, preventing exposure to environmental hazards and support services available in the community.

Screening requirements:

Periodic child development and social-emotional screenings are provided, using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2).
Along with the screenings, information is provided about typical child development and ideas to support a child's growth and development. Resource and referral information is provided when needs arise.

Child Welfare (Child Protection)

DHS Screening webpage, Child Welfare section

Children's mental health screening is an important tool for identifying mental health issues and determining the need for referring a child for further assessment. The Department of Human Services encourages child protection social workers to engage families in discussing the importance of children's mental health screening within the first thirty days of the case management process. When a child is in out-of-home placement, it is advised to provide the youth with a screening after the first thirty days of placement.

The target populations include children in the child welfare system who are not currently receiving mental health services and who have not been previously screened within the past 180 days.

Child welfare target population:

Children ages 3 months to 18 years;
Receiving child protective case management services;
Parental rights have been terminated and are receiving guardianship or adoption case management through child protective services; or
Children in out-of-home placement for thirty days or more and not in a Social Service Information System (SSIS) children's mental health workgroup.

Eligible Screeners:

County and tribal social services professionals;
Juvenile justice corrections professionals; or
Mental health practitioners (as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 245.4871, subdivision 26).

All screeners must be trained on the use of the DHS approved screening instrument tools utilized as well as demonstrate competency on conducting the screening and interpreting the results for purposes of educating families and providing appropriate referrals for further assessment and/or treatment.

Approved Screening Tools:

Screening instruments used must be one of the tools approved by the Commissioner of Human Services for the child welfare and juvenile justice children's mental health screenings. An updated list of approved screening tools for children and youth.

Child Welfare:

Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social Emotional, Second Version (ASQ:SE-2) For infants and children 6 months to 5 years of age.
Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) For children/youth 6 years of age and older.