Help Me Grow Long Island (HMGLI) provides FREE support for expecting parents and families with children from birth to age 5. We work directly with parents and other caregivers to offer developmental and social-emotional screenings, science-based child development information, and connections to resources that support optimal child development. Our knowledgeable Family Resource Specialists can assist with screenings and link you to programs and services to nurture your child’s early learning and development.
In their first five years, kids’ brains are making connections faster than they will at any other point in their life. This rapid development is why routine developmental screenings are so important for families. When you fill out a screening with Help Me Grow Long Island, one of our Family Resource Specialists will reach out to you personally and talk you through your child’s growth and developmental milestones. With this personalized guidance, you’ll be able to identify any delays or areas where your child might need additional support. Our goal is to help you understand your child’s development and connect you with the tools and resources you need to best support them (and yourself) on your parenting journey.
A Screening Success Story With Personalized Care
After the birth of her first child required a minor medical intervention, one new mom reached out to Help Me Grow Long Island for assistance. Her child had been born three weeks early and had undergone a procedure in the first few hours of her life. In her search to find help, this mother found the Help Me Grow Long Island website and completed a 3-month Ages and Stages questionnaire. Based on this screening, our Family Resource Specialist noted that the baby’s communication and motor skills were slightly delayed, and that the progress should be monitored closely. In a follow-up call, Mom felt safe discussing her baby’s milestones and developmental concerns with the Family Resource Specialist. Together, they created a plan that included a list of age-appropriate developmental activities to support the baby’s development. They also scheduled a follow up screening in three months to track progress and explore additional resources and support that might be beneficial.
In addition to providing this mother with support through our screening services, we were also able to offer additional support through our extensive network of community resources. After discussing her child’s development, she mentioned to our Family Resource Specialist that she would like to attend parenting and toddler classes in her area during her maternity leave. Thanks to our relationships with community agencies across Long Island, our Family Resource Specialist was able to connect this family to the resources she needed.
Like most of our families, this mother is still in contact with the Family Resource Specialist assigned to her case. Help Me Grow Long Island remains in contact with families to encourage periodic screening and ensure a family feels connected to everything they need to support their child. This ongoing, personalized care is what has made Help Me Grow Long Island so effective in supporting families all over Long Island. With our routine screening, access to community resources, and personalized, ongoing care coordination, Help Me Grow Long Island has helped thousands of families in our communities. We’re here to help yours, too!
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