Frequently Asked Questions

The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a survey that asks specific questions about your child’s development starting from 2 months up to 60 months old. It’s used to help determine their growth and development in different areas, but the focus is on physical and social-emotional growth.

You can use whatever you have around your house, and you can change out objects if you don’t have something. For example, if the question asks if your baby can transfer a ball from hand to hand but you don’t have a ball, you could use a pair of socks, or a bottle.

Don’t worry! A low score isn’t a bad thing. It will show our Family Support Navigators what areas they should focus on before the next Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is sent. We’ll send you fun activities that you can incorporate into your daily routine to help build the low-score skills. If we notice that the score is still low, we’ll work to find a community resource and organization that will help provide additional support for you and your child.

Yes, it’s legit! The letters are because of a great partnership we have with the Kent County Health Department and are just one of many ways you might hear about Connections.

Connections: Any child ages 0-5 is eligible to participate in our Connections program. You can sign up at any time.

Healthy Families: Any child ages 0-3 months can enroll and will be a part of the program until they turn three.

We prefer to have a parent/legal guardian sign up so that there are no issues with the child being able to participate in the program. If a grandparent is interested, we would prefer they provide our information to the parent and let the parent reach out to us.

Our program costs are currently covered by grants, donations, funders, and taxpayer contributions to the Ready by Five Early Childhood Millage.

It’s stored in our database that can only be accessed by our staff. If you live in Kent County and consented to be a part of our program, your child’s age, race/ethnicity, and insurance program may be shared for quality improvement purposes, but your child’s name is never shared.

Families won’t receive Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) after their child turns 5. The last ASQ is a 60-month ASQ and the family will then receive an email that they have completed the program. However, we’re always here to help if they need developmental or community resources.

Family Support Navigators help go over your Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) scores and answer any questions that you might have. They are the “navigators of the community,” so they’ll help find resources for whatever a parent may need. They are also a support system; a sounding board to bounce ideas off of. They are all moms who are willing to share their experiences and walk alongside any parent that reaches out.

Any time! You can reach a Family Support Navigator (FSN) by calling their direct line, emailing, or sending a text message. If you have a question or concern, feel free to call. You can also ask questions on the Ages & Stages Questionnaire when you fill those out. Your FSN will see those questions/comments/concerns and will reach out to you. 

Our Connections program doesn’t have home visiting services, but our Healthy Families Kent County program does. This involves a Family Support Specialist from Arbor Circle or Catholic Charities of West Michigan visiting you from the comfort of your home to help you with whatever you may need.