Help Me Grow Home Visiting
Pregnant women who participated in HMG were 48 percent less likely to have a child with low birth weight.
Ohio’s Help Me Grow (HMG) Home Visiting Program provides information about raising a happy and healthy child, parenting tips, and local resources in the comfort of the family’s home.
Achievement Centers for Children is a proud provider of Help Me Grow services, provided at no cost to eligible families residing in Cuyahoga County.
Our Approach
Positive parent-child interaction
During home visits, one of the primary things we do is engage mom or another caregiver and baby in activities that promote positive parent-child interaction and bonding, as well as child development.
Confidence through care
Our home visitors are well-trained professionals who use a non-judgmental and compassionate approach that empowers parents with skills, tools and confidence to nurture the healthy growth of their children in the comfort of their own home.
Healthy Families America
We implement the Healthy Families America program of home visiting, which is a national, evidence-based Home Visiting model. The main goal is to provide support, encouragement, information and resources to families to promote positive parent-child interaction.
Growing Great Kids
We utilize Growing Great Kids evidence-based curriculum as the primary source of the activities and handouts that we use with parents to support secure parent-child interactions and attachment.
Routine screenings
We routinely screen the child’s development in all areas (using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire) to help with the early identification of any potential developmental concerns.
Community assistance
Additionally, many families request assistance with various needs, from employment to housing to day care (to name a few). Home Visitors can help link families to other programs and services in the community to help meet these needs.
Visit Schedule
Weekly visits are recommended, especially with new families and newborn babies. Frequent visits, especially in the early stages, are very beneficial in establishing a relationship with your family and getting to know ways to best help. We understand the unique needs and schedules every family has, so we offer flexible scheduling options to accommodate your family.
Visit Locations
There’s no place like your home for learning how to be the best parent for your child, so the most common place where we visit with our families is in their homes. However, we are flexible to visit wherever your family feels most comfortable. Some caregivers feel more comfortable meeting at a local coffee shop or fast food restaurant. When the weather is nice, we’ve even had visits at a park or playground, or the local library!
Eligibility
Financial eligibility is the only criteria for our program. Home visits are available to families who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Families can enroll prenatally or any time before their child is 3 years to utilize 36 months of service.
Registration
Achievement Centers for Children partners with the Ohio Department of Children & Youth Services to provide the Help Me Grow Program.
All applications are accepted through Help Me Grow of Cuyahoga County. You may request Achievement Centers for Children to provide services when you apply for the program.
Call the Help Me Grow Referral Line at 1-800-755-GROW (4769) or register online.
