I am excited to have joined the Project LAUNCH team and look forward to implementing the Help Me Grow model in Tuscaloosa County. What most attracted me to Help Me Grow is the fact that it combined the most enjoyable parts of my previous work experience. I always enjoyed working directly with children and families and being able to witness the positive changes that occurred as a result of information and resources I was able to provide or link them with.

Since I began in January, there have been lots of exciting things going on. Our first local Young Child Wellness Council meeting was held in February. We worked on completing an environmental scan of the county to assess available resources as well as gaps in services. During that work session, we found that although Tuscaloosa has many services, there are still some substantial gaps that we hope to fill by implementing Project LAUNCH and Help Me Grow. It was exciting to see agencies and professionals that serve children and families come together for a common purpose.

As part of the Help Me Grow initiative, we have scheduled two Books, Balls, and Blocks events. At these events, children are able to engage in developmentally appropriate play while their parents complete Ages & Stages Questionnaires, which will help identify developmental delays. There will also be resources made available to the parents that will address any concerns that they may have. Hosting these events will help promote the use of developmental screenings and increase early detection of developmental delays. This is important because it’s more effective and cost efficient to grow healthy children than it is to rehabilitate them as adults.

I am so thankful to be a part of Help Me Grow and Project LAUNCH at the local level. I am looking forward to seeing how this work is going to benefit children and families in the Tuscaloosa area.