Teachers and school staff are often the first people to hear a parent/guardian say, “I’m worried about my child,” or “I don’t know what to do next.”
A child may be having difficulty with communication or development. A family may be trying to understand the transition from Child Development Services (CDS) to school. A parent may need help figuring out who to contact outside their school district about a need that has arisen. Families may also be dealing with other challenges that make it harder to access the support their child needs.
Knowing where to send a family can be just as challenging as recognizing that they need support.
That’s where Help Me Grow Maine comes in.
What is Help Me Grow Maine?
Help Me Grow Maine is a statewide resource for families of children birth through eight, pregnant people, and the professionals who support them. Help Me Grow Maine serves as a systems navigator and care coordinator. Through their helpline, families as well as educators can speak with a Family Support Specialist who will listen to their concerns, talk through what the family needs, identify possible next steps, and help connect them with the right people and programs.
For children ages 3–5, this can include helping families understand developmental concerns, find community resources, and navigate their local school system as new students, among other options.
Helping Families Figure Out What Comes Next
A parent might be concerned about their preschooler’s development but aren’t sure whether they should contact the school. Another family may already have services through Child Development Services (CDS) and have questions about what happens when their child enters school.
A family might be looking for an evaluation or other support but run into a waitlist, transportation problem, or difficulty finding an available provider.
Sometimes the concern has little to do with the child’s development at all. A family may need help with childcare, food, housing, transportation, or another issue that is affecting their ability to access services.
Help Me Grow Maine Family Support Specialists can talk through these concerns with families and help them figure out where to start. When a school district is the appropriate place to start, they can help families understand how to make that connection.
A Resource for Educators
You don’t have to know every program, service, or contact in your community. And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Help Me Grow Maine gives educators another place to refer families when they aren’t sure where to start. A Family Support Specialist can spend time with the family, learn more about what they need, and help them determine what to do next.
For educators, it can be as simple as saying, “There’s someone who can help you figure this out.”
Learn More at MEA’s Winter Conference
Maine educators told MEA they wanted more information about services and supports for children ages 3–5. Help Me Grow Maine will be both exhibiting and presenting at the upcoming MEA conferences in Presque Isle and Bangor in January for you to learn more.
Help Me Grow will share examples of the types of questions families bring to Help Me Grow Maine, how they help families navigate developmental and school-related concerns, and how educators can use Help Me Grow Maine as a referral option.
If you work with young children and their families, come learn more about Help Me Grow Maine and how it can be another tool in your toolbox.
Reach out to Help Me Grow Maine
Families and professionals can call (dial 211 or text your zip code to 898-211) and choose option 5 to connect with Help Me Grow Maine, or fill out this online referral form to connect with a Family Support Specialist: bit.ly/helpmegrowonline
Melinda Corey is Help Me Grow Maine’s Outreach Specialist. She is responsible for making connections with community partners, building a network of resources, and general community education on the importance of promoting developmental surveillance, screening, and the Help Me Grow model in Maine. Melinda is a certified early childhood special education teacher and educational consultant, as well an Ages and Stages Questionnaire™ trainer and Child Passenger Safety Technician.
