Developmental Milestones
How a child plays, learns, speaks, and acts offers important clues about their development
Delays and Disabilities
For grade schoolers with disabilities and developmental delays
Special education K-3
Information and resources concerning special education:
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, speak to the child's teacher or principal.
About developmental disabilities
Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas. About one in six children in the U.S. have one or more developmental disabilities or other developmental delays.
Learn more:
Developmental disability information for families
Learn about the resources available from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and Ohio's county boards, and how to find these resources in your community.
Apply/Questions
If you have questions, or to apply, contact your County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Ohio Medicaid - Long Term Services and Supports
Long term services and supports are programs or services that help children and adults with disabilities accomplish everyday tasks. Long-term services and supports allow individuals to live healthy, secure, and independent lives in the most appropriate place, either in the home and community or a facility setting.
For more information, see home and community-based services and additional long-term services.
Visit Benefits.Ohio.gov to check eligibility and apply.
Questions?
If you have any questions, contact the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800-324-8680 or your County Department of Job and Family Services .
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a child whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects can include physical problems and problems with behavior and learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems.
FASDs last a lifetime. There is no cure for FASDs, but research shows that early intervention treatment services can improve a child's development.
How to get help
Learn about how to get started or contact your county Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Healthy Beginnings
Information and programs for children's health
Ohio Medicaid - Children's Health Initiatives
Healthy Start, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), provides health coverage to eligible children. It includes Healthchek, Ohio's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program.
The purpose of Healthchek is to discover and treat health problems early, so that children can have the best health and development possible.
Visit Benefits.Ohio.gov to check eligibility and apply.
Questions?
If you have any questions, contact the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800-324-8680 or your County Department of Job and Family Services .
Booster seat safety
Ohio's child passenger safety law requires the following:
Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.
Children ages 8-15 must use a child safety seat or safety belt.
Fines range from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $75 per occurrence. A booster seat can be purchased for as little as $15. Don't wait for a ticket!.
For more information, including how to know when the child is ready to use an adult seat belt, see the Ohio Child Passenger Safety brochure .
Ohio Buckles Buckeyes
The Ohio Buckles Buckeyes program provides free child safety seats to eligible low income families in all Ohio counties.
Questions?
If you have any questions, call 1-800-755-4769 (GROW) to be referred to a Child Passenger Safety Program near you.
Immunizations
Vaccination is very safe and effective. Immunizations can save your child's life and protect those you care about.
Download easy to read and use immunization charts to track childhood vaccinations:
Healthy eating & active living
These guides provide:
Helpful parenting tips
Feeding advice
Activity advice
Sleep advice
How to have fun at mealtime
Active playtime ideas
Healthy Bones & Teeth
English | Español
Snack From All 5 Food Groups
English | Español
Snack It Up
English
Healthy Servings for Children 4-8
English | Español
Download the app:
Parenting at Meal and Playtime
Return-to-Play concussion law
Ohio's Return-to-Play law requires that youth athletes who are suspected of sustaining a concussion, MUST be removed from practice or play.
Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program
The Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program helps families with children from birth to 21 with hearing impairments with:
Hearing aids
Earmolds
Hearing aid batteries
Families with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines qualify for the program.
Save Our Sight
Vision Screening Certification
Save Our Sight funds vision screen training to child care providers, nurses, teachers and health care professionals, as well as community volunteers to ensure that preschool children in Ohio have healthy vision for life. Parents will be informed of their child's vision screening results from the child's daycare, preschool or school.
Ohio Amblyope Registry
The Ohio Amblyope Registry provides information and case management services to children diagnosed with amblyopia (lazy eye) and their families. Case management includes items like free patches, children's books, patching posters, and monthly newsletters. All families are eligible and there is no income requirement.
Vision Health and Safety
The Ohio Optometric Association's Realeyes program is provided at schools, libraries and community groups. Local optometrists teach children about eye health and anatomy and the importance of vision care and eye safety.
Protective Eyewear
Parents and caretakers can contact the Ohio Ophthalmological Society's "Play Hard. Don't Blink." sports eye safety program to apply for prescription goggles for their child. The use of protective eyewear can reduce the number of sports eye injuries in Ohio's young players. This program also provides baseball and softball helmets with face masks and sports goggles that coaches and sports leagues can apply for. Families must be at or below 300% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Summer Food Service Program
All children ages 1 through 18 are eligible to receive free meals during the summer months at participating program sites.
To find a site near you, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479).
National School Lunch and Breakfast Program
Check with your school to learn about what food programs they offer.
Children with Medical Handicaps Program
The Children with Medical Handicaps Program (BCMH):
Connects families of children with special health care needs to a network of quality providers.
Helps families obtain payment for the services their children need.
BCMH offers diagnostic, treatment, and service coordination programs, as well as additional programs. Each program has its own medical and/or financial criteria.
Emotional Wellness
Early emotional and social interaction are the building blocks of healthy development and learning
Triple P - Positive Parenting Program
Triple P is one of the best known and effective positive parenting systems in use worldwide.
Triple P:
Improves the health and well-being of children and parents.
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Reduces childhood behavioral issues.
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Supports families in need.
Works across diverse families and communities worldwide.
Parent and caretaker seminars are being offered around the state.
For more information, email Children's Services at the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
What is early childhood mental health?
Early childhood mental health is the overall well-being of children from birth through age eight.
Children and families who are emotionally healthy can:
Experience, control, and express emotion.
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Form close, secure relationships.
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Learn by exploring the world around them.
Learn by exploring the world around them.
Early childhood mental health is made stronger by:
Caring adult relationships.
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Meeting basic food, housing, and safety needs.
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High quality early learning environment.
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A supportive community.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about a child, call 1-844-678-ABCs (2227).
Bullying
What is bullying? What is cyberbullying? Who is at risk? How you can prevent and respond to bullying?
Learn more at StopBullying.gov
How to get help
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions or concerns about a child, call 1-844-678-ABCs (2227).
Toxic stress
Toxic stress can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, and/or continuing adversity.
Examples include:
Physical or emotional abuse
Continuing neglect
Caretaker substance abuse or mental illness
Violence at home or in the community
Money problems
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns about a child, call 1-800-755-4769 (GROW).
Start Talking! Early Childhood
Research shows that young children can have lifelong benefits from positive relationships, nurturing and emotional support from parents and caregivers.
Start Talking! "Tell Me" is designed to support adults in helping young children reach their full potential in school, learning and life.
Tell Me Every Day . . .
I am safe
I am important
I make you proud
I make you happy
I am going to college
You love my smile and my laugh
You love my eyes and my hair
You love when I read to you
My feelings are important
You love that I work hard in school
You like/love my drawing or my art
You like/love how I am kind to others
You like/love that I am thoughtful to others
You like/love that I care about how other people feel
You like/love when I dance and play
You like/love when I eat my veggies and fruits
Ask me how I feel
Ask me what do I think
Purposeful parenting
Purposeful parenting begins by thinking about the final result. What do parents want for their children?
FLIP IT!
Four supportive steps to help young children learn about their feelings, gain self-control and reduce challenging behavior.
Emotional first aid after trauma
Children go through stages of physical, emotional, cognitive and social development. After any type of major trauma, the stress of the event may interrupt, delay or possibly reverse that development.
Children need consistent care and a daily routine as soon as possible. They can be easily upset by change: food prepared differently, their special blanket missing, or being put into bed at night without the usual person or in a different way. Media coverage or adult conversations about the event can also be upsetting.
These emotional first aid tips may help parents and caregivers understand how to comfort a young child after a trauma.
Tips for Parents: Helping school-age children following a trauma
Education & Child Care
Information on education and before/after school child care
Before/after school child care and summer care
Use the child care search tool to find the early care and education program that meets your needs.
You can search by location, type of program, days/hours of operation, services provided, and Step Up To Quality rating.
What is Step Up To Quality?
Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) is Ohio's five-star early care and child care rating and improvement system. It recognizes programs that exceed minimum health and safety standards and promote children's learning and development.
SUTQ helps parents/caretakers choose higher quality, one through five-star rated programs that can better prepare children for the next step in their schooling.
Why should you choose a star rated program?
Highly trained teachers
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Development of school readiness skills
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Commitment to continuous improvement
Publicly funded child care
Publicly funded child care is available to help eligible parents/caretakers with child care costs while they engage in work, education, or job training.
The program provides access to the early care and education experiences children need to succeed in school.
It is available for children from birth through age 13 for:
Child care
Preschool
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Before- and after- school care
Summer care
Learn more:
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, contact your County Department of Job and Family Services .
Understanding Ohio's Educational Options
Choosing the right education for their child is one of a parent's most important jobs. Ohio's education system recognizes that every child learns differently. There is no single education environment that works best for all children. Ohio offers a variety of choices in education.
All Ohio students have the option to enroll in their local public school. Students are usually assigned to a neighborhood school based on their home address.
Many districts allow parents to choose a public school in their district that is outside of their neighborhood. These school options are often called lottery or magnet schools. They may offer a specialized program and have selective or lottery-based admission.
Community (Charter) Schools are independently operated public schools. Like all public schools, they are free and open to all students.
Nonpublic (private) schools are run by private or non-profit organizations. Parents typically pay tuition to attend these schools. Private schools may set admission requirements for students.
State funded scholarships can help many families afford tuition at these schools. Scholarships are available for students that attend low-performing schools, students with special needs and students whose family income is below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Families can decide to provide education themselves to their children. This option requires the approval of the local school district superintendent each school year along with an annual assessment of the student's performance.
K-Grade 3 Learning and Development Standards
These standards guide teachers on engaging students in the learning process.
Their purpose is to promote an understanding of the whole child and support all areas of learning.
Family involvement in education
When families are involved, it helps children be successful in grade school and in the future.
They'll have more friendships, behave better in school, and achieve at higher levels.
Third Grade Reading Guarantee
Research shows that children who are not reading at a third-grade level by the end of grade 3 are likely to have trouble learning in all classroom subjects in higher grades.
Ohio Medicaid School Program
Allows schools to be reimbursed for Medicaid covered services they provide to eligible children ages 3-21. Children must receive services through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) .
For more information, speak to the child's teacher or principal.
Ready for kindergarten
Kindergarten Readiness Checklist
Use this checklist to help get children ready for kindergarten.
Everything You Need to Know about Kindergarten
Learn about age requirements, early entrance, required screenings, school options, and more.
Kindergarten Readiness Assessment
This assessment occurs during the first few months of kindergarten. It provides information that allows families and teachers to work as partners so that children are successful in school.
Tips for helping children transition from home to school
With your support, the transition between home to school can be a positive experience for a child.
