R E P O RT TO T H E C O M M U N I T Y
2012
Help Me Grow of
Cuyahoga County
Overview of Families
served in 2012
Home Visits: Home Visitors
meet with families and
provide information about
child development, activities
to do with their child, and
connection to helpful
community resources.
2,527 children received
home visiting services.
Service Coordination:
Children receive assistance in
connecting to services and
supports to address special
needs.
3,460 children received
Service Coordination.
In all,32,411 home visits
happened in 2012!
Dear Friends,
W
e are grateful to the community for ensuring families
receive helpful services during the important early
years of their child’s life. It has been a year full of change for
the Help Me Grow program. Through our collaborative work,
we have developed a new approach for providing services,
while continuing to ensure that families are supported.
Through the years, Help Me Grow has experienced many
changes—I remain confident that our community will always
embrace children as our most valuable resource by investing in
the earliest years.
Every day, we are privileged to share with families who are
shaping the lives of their young children. Parenting can be a
daunting task, bringing many challenges, along with the joys.
Through the work of Help Me Grow, parents are supported,
children are nurtured, and we come together for children. We
are shaping the future—one child at a time. Keep up the good
work.
With gratitude,
Melissa Manos, Director
216.698.7500
www.helpmegrow.org
A partner of
Help me Grow is funded by the Ohio Department of Health/Federal Government Bureau of Early Intervention Services
Help Me Grow Program and locally supported by The Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood/Invest in Children and
the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
Supporting children in
their earliest years
T
hrough the remarkable work of Help Me Grow families, staff,
and community partners, we have accomplished much. We
are thankful to everyone who contributed their talents, passion,
expertise, and dedication to supporting children in their earliest
years. Here a few of our accomplishments:
We provided support to families through home visiting services,
using an evidenced-based curriculum that engaged parents in
discovering every-day activities that helped nurture their
child’s healthy development.
We coordinated services for families with children with special
needs, providing information about community resources,
therapies, and family services.
We helped families to develop realistic expectations of their
child by providing information about child development and age
appropriate activities.
“
I tell friends
who have
children about
the program and tell
them that they should
participate.”
Help Me Grow
Provider Agencies
Achievement Centers
for Children
Cuyahoga County Board
of Health
Cleveland Clinic
Children’s Hospital
Guidestone Ohio
We helped parents set goals for their family, developing
confidence and self-assurance.
Options for Families &
Youth
We offered transition services so families would know what
their next steps would be after their child turns three years of
age.
Spanish American
Committee
St. Martin DePorres
Catholic Charities
United Cerebral Palsy
OUR MISSION
“
I have learned to be the best
parent you can be. No one is
perfect, but you learn more
along the way.”
Help Me Grow of Cuyahoga
County ensures newborns,
infants, and toddlers grow,
learn and develop to their
fullest potential.
Support for Early Childhood
State Fiscal Year 2012
H
elp Me Grow of Cuyahoga County is funded
through a variety of sources—federal, state,
and local. Funding goes to support the Help Me Grow
home visiting services, Part C (Early Intervention)
service coordination, developmental evaluations and
screenings, and family support opportunities. The
Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County is our
administrative and fiscal agent.
PLAY...
gives children a
chance to practice
what they are
learning.
“
It is easier to build strong children, than to
repair broken adults.” —Frederick Douglass
—Fred Rogers
PART C from Ohio
General Revenue
Fund: $1,092,516
Help Me Grow
Family Council
Our quarterly Family Council
meetings, involving family
representatives from our
Provider Agencies, supported
the family voice in program
decisions and encouraged
leadership development.
Advocates for Early
Childhood
Help Me Grow held successful
Legislator’s Forums and
individual meetings with
policy makers, sharing the
importance of investments in
early childhood services and
supports.
PART C from Federal
Funds: $1,282,518
PART C from CCBDD:
$500,000
PART C from
Cuyahoga County:
$316,416
Home Visiting from
Ohio General
Revenue Fund:
$2,254,718
Home Visiting from
Cuyahoga County:
$531,112
Ohio Children’s
Trust Fund through
Cuyahoga FCFC
$217,039
Investments in Early Childhood Education programs
consistently and conservatively generate benefit-cost
ratios exceeding 3-to-1 or more than a $3 return for
every $1 invested.
Looking Forward
A
s our community continues to embrace early
childhood as a priority, we are excited about:
Evidenced-based Early Intervention teams of professionals
working with families to address their needs and provide
support.
Offering Bright Beginnings Home Visiting services to
families throughout our county.
Continuing to build partnerships so families have access to many community resources and services.
THANK YOU!
We deeply appreciate the support and work of the individuals and organizations who contribute to
Help Me Grow in so many ways. We value your commitment, your concern for the well being of
children and families, and your persistence in addressing the needs in our community.
“If you want happiness for a lifetime—help the next generation”
—-Chinese proverb
8111 Quincy Avenue
Suite 344
Cleveland, OH 44104
Helpmegrow.org