How does Help Me Grow work?
The four program components are:
- Making the Connection. Work with call centers like 2-1-1 Connects Alabama to receive confidential calls from family members regarding a child’s developmental or behavioral concerns, assess the child’s needs and available resources, and refer families to developmental services.
- Building the Network. Develop ongoing relationships with programs in the community and support the maintenance of an updated resource inventory.
- Educating Providers. Educate professionals about the importance of developmental surveillance and screening while promoting access to developmental services.
- Identifying Gaps and Barriers. Collect data and analyze to document and identify needs to more effectively connect families to community resources.
Who Can Use Help Me Grow?
Anyone can call if they are:
- Wondering about a child’s development, behavior or learning
- Needing support to access services
- Assisting a client, family member, or friend seek information about developmental services
- Requesting inclusion of an organization in the developmental services database for referrals
Help Me Grow will:
- Listen to concerns and help decide which referrals are right for your family
- Find services that are appropriate and available for referrals
- Connect children to services
- Follow up to find out if a successful connection was made
What is Help Me Grow: Books, Balls, and Blocks?
Books, Balls, and Blocks is a free event held for children and their families. The purpose of the event is to screen children for developmental delays in the first 5 years of life!
The event is fun, educational, and exciting! While children engage in games and activities at different stations, parents learn how these interactions help stimulate their child’s development.
Also, while the children are playing, parents can complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3). The ASQ-3 is reliable, valid, cost-effective, and easy to use. The ASQ-3 is the recommended tool to screen young children for developmental delays.
On site, there will be professionals to score the ASQ-3. Afterwards, parents will receive a follow-up from the professional to learn if his or her child’s development 1) appears on schedule, 2) needs to be monitored and provided learning activities, or 3) requires further assessment with a professional.
Parents will be given resources concerning their child’s development and fun activities that they can do with their child! Free community resources will also be available at the event!
Our hope is for Help Me Grow: Books, Balls, and Blocks to be a free, fun, and exciting event, while supporting healthy development among children in your community.
How do I host/support a Books, Balls, and Blocks event in my community?
Complete and return the Books, Balls, and Blocks Alabama Response Form and somone from the Alabama Partnership for Children will respond with more information.
For more information about the program in Northwest Alabama, please contact:
Patricia Locker
Help Me Grow Coordinator
helpmegrownwal@gmail.com
256 764 5892