Dedicated to ensuring that early childhood systems maximize the potential of all young children, the Help Me Grow National Center is a program of the Office for Community Child Health at Connecticut Children’s in Hartford, Connecticut. The Help Me Grow National Center serves as a national resource to support the implementation of Help Me Grow systems throughout the USA. The nation’s first Help Me Grow system launched in Hartford, CT, in 1997. Based on the strength of these results and the targeted advocacy efforts of founding director Dr. Paul Dworkin and his team, the CT system expanded statewide in 2002. Currently, more than 28 states are affiliates of the National Network and receive ongoing technical assistance from the Help Me Grow National Center to implement the Help Me Grow model and diffuse innovative system enhancements.
Where they operate
Headquarters Location
Connecticut Children's Medical Center 282 Washington Street
Hartford, CT 06106
United States
Organization Type
Main Areas of Work
What They Do
Help Me Grow maintains a current directory of available services and connects service providers to each other to create an interconnected system. Families benefit as Help Me Grow listens to them, links them to services, and provides ongoing support. Help Me Grow is available to all children, including those whose families may have concerns or simply want to learn more about their child’s development.
Help Me Grow is not a stand-alone program, but rather a system model that utilizes and builds on existing resources in order to develop and enhance a comprehensive approach to early childhood system-building in any given community. Successful implementation of the Help Me Grow model requires communities to identify existing resources, think creatively about how to make the most of existing opportunities, and build a coalition to work collaboratively toward a shared agenda.