Becoming a parent is exciting, rewarding, and sometimes overwhelming. From pregnancy through the early childhood years, families often have questions about development, parenting, and where to turn for support. That’s where Ohio’s Help Me Grow program comes in.

Help Me Grow is a statewide system of support overseen by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. The program connects pregnant individuals, caregivers with new babies, and families of young children with developmental delays or disabilities to valuable services and resources designed to help children thrive during their earliest years.

One of the program’s most widely used services is Home Visiting. Offered voluntarily at no cost, Home Visiting pairs families with trained professionals who provide guidance, encouragement, and support during pregnancy and throughout a child’s earliest stages of development.

Home visitors can help families navigate everything from healthy pregnancy habits and infant sleep routines to soothing a crying baby and managing the everyday stresses of parenting. They also connect parents with local resources tailored to their specific needs.

Research shows the program can make a significant impact. Pregnant women who participated in Home Visiting experienced 48 percent fewer low birth weight babies, and children involved in the program scored 25 percent higher on first- through third-grade reading and math achievement tests.

For children experiencing developmental concerns, Help Me Grow also offers Early Intervention services. Families concerned about delays in speech, movement, social interaction, or other developmental milestones are encouraged to seek support as early as possible.

Early Intervention services are available statewide to eligible children regardless of family income. Providers work closely with families to determine eligibility and develop personalized plans that support each child’s unique needs. Services are often provided in familiar environments like the home or daycare setting, where children naturally learn and grow through everyday routines and experiences.

Research consistently shows that early support gives children the best opportunity for long-term success and can reduce the need for additional services later in life.

Help Me Grow also offers developmental screenings to help families track milestones from birth through age 5. Ohio families can access the free Sparkler: Play for Parenting app, which includes built-in developmental screenings and personalized guidance from specialists. Since 90 percent of brain development occurs before age 5, these early screenings can play an important role in identifying concerns and supporting healthy growth.

Another important service is Family Connects Ohio, which provides free nurse home visits for families with newborns in participating communities. During these visits, registered nurses answer questions, offer reassurance, assess the baby’s well-being, and help connect families to additional community support if needed. Visits may take place in the home or through telehealth.

In addition, Help Me Grow’s online Community Resource Directory helps families locate local support services, including childcare resources, baby supplies, job training programs, adoption and foster care information, and much more.

Whether families need guidance during pregnancy, support navigating developmental concerns, or simply reassurance during the early years of parenting, Help Me Grow is designed to ensure Ohio families never have to face those challenges alone.

Visit www.helpmegrow.org, call (800) 755-GROW (4769) or email info@helpmegrow.org to learn more.