Help Me Grow (HMG) connects families with young children to community-based services and support. Through the HMG system, statewide partners and communities are mobilized to build collaboration across service sectors, including child health care, early care and education and family support. Ongoing data collection and analysis helps HMG state affiliates identify gaps in and barriers to services. The HMG philosophy and model align well with the Strengthening Families mission and protective factors.

Parental Resilience: HMG fosters parental resilience and family strengths by meeting families where they are and partnering with them in identifying and prioritizing issues. Families are helped to recognize early signs of developmental/behavioral risks and to successfully find needed programs and services. Parents become better equipped to respond effectively to family crisis situations.

Social Connections: Through HMG care coordination, families are linked to a wide array of formal and informal services and supports such as family events, children’s play groups, parent/family networks and educational programs. These experiences all help to facilitate mutual support, friendships and partnerships.

Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development: HMG supports families as their children’s first observers, teachers and advocates for optimal healthy development. Through a variety of informational materials and community resources, families acquire knowledge and skills related to child development, behaviors and milestones. Families are further assisted in using observational tools and effective parenting strategies to best support their children.

Concrete Support in Times of Need: The HMG system connects families to services, programs and opportunities where they live. Care coordinators build relationships with families, helping them understand available resources, how to access them, specific questions to ask and, if needed, assistance with completing service application packages. HMG further acts as a care coordination service for child health care, early care and education and family support providers, thus promoting an ongoing cycle of concrete support.

Social and Emotional Competence of Children: HMG care coordination and service referrals are provided for children and families at every level of need: developmental, behavioral or social-emotional problems, Birth to Three, Title V special health care needs and special education. By linking families to community-based programs such as child care, Head Start and family resource centers, HMG supports positive early learning and peer socialization experiences that strengthen children’s social-emotional abilities, school readiness and school success.