Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)

Resources shared from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to support Early On.

  • icon Michigan Home Visiting Models

    • Michigan supports 8 different Home Visiting Models.  Please visit this link for more information about each model and to identify programs available in your area.  

  • icon Your Baby’s Hearing and Communicative Development Checklist (PDF) - Posted:03/05/2021

    • This resource from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) provides a checklist for hearing and communicative development for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The NIDCD supports and conducts research and research training on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language and provides health information, based upon scientific discovery, to the public.

    This document does reference being hard of hearing as a 'hearing problem'. We are working to move away from the designation of being hard of hearing as being a problem. 

    Some babies are identified as deaf or hard of hearing within months of birth. Other childrens’ hearing levels change over time.

    It is important to know what to expect as your baby grows because any drop in hearing level can delay the development of voice, speech, and language skills. The checklist below presents the average age by which most babies accomplish a variety of early speech and language skills.

  • Early On and the Child Welfare System Folder IconEarly On and the Child Welfare System
    • An Early On and the Child Welfare System Informational Webinar Series 2025

      • This informational webinar series will introduce the child welfare system and support an understanding of Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations and procedural safeguards to ensure family's rights are protected. We will cover topics including Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), referrals to Early On, and support for families in the child welfare system.  Sessions will identify best practices for engaging with families. With a better understanding of the impact of abuse and/or neglect, Early On providers can utilize a trauma-focused approach in engaging and involving families in their child's development.  

    • icon Child Welfare Basics and Definitions 2025

      • This is the first webinar in our series: Early On and the Child Welfare System.  This session will introduce the child welfare system and will strengthen understanding of Child Protective Services.  The series will cover topics including Child Abuse Presentation and Treatment Act (CAPTA), referrals to Early On, and support for families involved in the child welfare system.  

    • icon How to Support Families in the Child Welfare System

      • This is the second webinar in our series: Early On and the Child Welfare System.  This session will identify best practices for engaging with families who are navigating the child welfare system.  With a better understanding of the impact of abuse and/or neglect, Early On providers can utilize a trauma-focues approach for engaging and involving familes in their child's development.  

    • icon Parental Consent and Release of Information

      • This is one of three informational webinars in the series: Early On and the Child Welfare System. This session will discuss procedural safeguards to ensure family's rights are protected for families involved in the child welfare system.