Follow Along Program Community Connectors

Established in 2023, Healthy Beginnings, Healthy Families Act creates opportunities for the state to improve health outcomes for babies and young children. The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Follow Along Program helps parents and caregivers of young children learn about their child’s development and identify any needs, connecting them to supports and services based on those needs.

MDH is seeking proposals from qualified organizations to recruit and deploy a group of Community Connectors that will provide culturally and linguistically inclusive outreach and navigation support for families as they enroll and participate in the Follow Along Program. Our goal is to better reach populations that have been historically underserved by the Follow Along Program. The Follow Along Program Community Connectors will specifically serve families from at least one focus population group. Focus population groups are historically oppressed groups, including (but not limited to) Tribal Nations, American Indian, African American, Somali, Hmong, Latinx, and Karen communities, as well as those from rural and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

Eligible applicants can include community-based nonprofit and for-profit organizations; government entities or Tribal Governments (including current Follow Along Program grantees); clinics and hospitals; community health or public health organizations; quality improvement organizations; professional provider associations; school districts, institutes of higher education, and educational cooperatives.

Grantee Requirements

1. Outreach, Enrollment, and Family Support
   This could include providing outreach to families and caregivers with young children via social media, virtual meetings, and training events to teach them about the program. MDH will provide outreach materials to Community Connectors to distribute electronically and/or at events. Materials that require translations will be done by the Community Connectors.
   
   Once the Community Connectors have assisted a family or caregiver with enrollment into the Follow Along Program, they will coordinate a collaboration plan with the local public health agency implementing the program and provide families with cultural and linguistic support as needed.
2. Community of Practice
   Grantees will participate in a community of practice facilitated by MDH. As a part of the community of practice, grantees and MDH will discuss and share best practices that provide culturally and linguistically inclusive methods for assisting families. This includes how to support families in completing Ages and Stages Questionnaires, how to best deliver screening results to families, and recommendations for specific resources and/or service providers who specifically serve young children from the focus populations.
   
   MDH will compile the learning and development of activities and resources created by the Community Connectors. The result will be a toolkit to support families statewide as they participate in the Follow Along Program and access services.
3. Activities:
   1. Designate a lead staff person / Community Connector to serve as a primary point of contact for MDH and Follow Along Program staff.
   2. Provide translations and community review of Follow Along Program promotional materials and documents as needed.
   3. Report on strategies employed and measure the impact of those strategies to demonstrate effectiveness of the grant and assist MDH in demonstrating a need for future funding.
   4. Ensure any materials developed or shared as part of the grant are fully accessible in accordance with applicable law and follow MDH Brand Guidelines.

For more information, download the full RFP: Follow Along Program Community Connectors Grant (Word)

Anticipated Timeline

• Oct. 24 – Deadline to submit questions.
• Oct. 26 – Final listing of questions posted below.
• Nov. 8 at Noon CST – Final application deadline.
• Nov. 30 – Grant award decisions made.
• Jan. 1 – Effective agreement date.

Application

Applications must be submitted via email to:

Michele Kvikstad
Early Identification and Intervention Coordinator
Minnesota Department of Health
health.cyshn@state.mn.us

Questions

In general, frequently asked questions and answers (PDF) will be posted weekly. The final deadline for submitting questions is Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, and the final listing of questions and answers will be posted on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.

Please submit all questions regarding the application to Michele Kvikstad at health.cyshn@state.mn.us

Share this RFP

Please feel free to share this Flyer (PDF) and Fact Sheet (PDF) with anyone who may be interested in the Community Connectors grant.