All children should be able to grow, develop, and thrive to reach their full potential. Help Me Grow is a nationally recognized system model that leverages existing resources in order to develop and enhance a comprehensive approach to early childhood system building in any given community.
To actualize the full potential of Help Me Grow, four cooperative and interdependent core components work together. Help Me Grow Washington has expanded the national model to include equity and advocacy. As we build upon the existing child well-being and family support infrastructure in Washington, all partners are expected to share a commitment to centering equity and racial justice in the design and implementation of the Help Me Grow system framework.
Equity is the foundation for all components. We seek a Help Me Grow system that ensures all families are connected to services in a way that achieves the goals they have for their child and family. We also understand that some families need more or specialized, targeted support to reach the same goals. Targeted universalism is the strategy Help Me Grow employs to achieve equitable access to quality services for all children.
Health and social service systems are difficult to navigate. The access point is a coordinated system of support, connecting children and their caregivers to state benefits and local services in their community. Find Help Me Grow in your community.
Family + Community Outreach engages community partners in building relationships across early childhood systems. In addition, it places importance on creating a unified message and outreach approach to families about promoting child development.
Acknowledging that health care providers have many opportunities to support healthy child development, this outreach calls on them to be champions of Help Me Grow and strengthen relationships that increase child developmental monitoring and early support for children.
Cohesive data collection and evaluation are essential in learning how children are developing, what families need, and to help identify barriers to access and systemic gaps to bolster advocacy efforts that will improve the system.
Help Me Grow depends on structural elements to provide the foundation for building and managing all the components of the system effectively over time. The statewide Organizing Entity (WithinReach) provides system oversight and support to local HMG systems as they develop. Scale and Spread actively creates opportunities for new communities to join and inform the HMG system-building efforts. Continuous System Improvement emphasizes improvements over time that produce optimal outcomes for children and families, maximize efficiency, and yield best practices. The HMG network is strategically positioned to support Advocacy and a shared legislative agenda that promotes the healthy development of all young children.
To learn more about the Help Me Grow system model and the important work happening across the nation, visit the Help Me Grow National Center website.
Visit website
It can now be found at HelpMeGrowWA.org, where you will find the Resource Finder and all of information you’ve come to rely on to support your family with health, food, basic needs, and child development resources.
