Help Me Grow Marion County

Did you know...

Help Me Grow Florida serves 41 counties across the state; has served 38,396 children; has made 32,800 referrals to meet service needs; and successfully connects 94% of children to the services they need.

Visit their website to see helpful videos, to learn about services and to complete a developmental milestone checklist for your child! https://helpmegrowfl.org/

You can also visit www.elc-marion.org to learn more about Help Me Grow Marion as part of the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc.

Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. – We Prepare Children for Success The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County is dedicated to providing children and families in our community with access to quality early learning programs that nurture their learning potential and prepare them for their educational success. It is our mission to provide leadership and foster partn...

THE ELCMC IS HIRING!

Help Me Grow Care Coordinator I, full-time, $43,712.00 – $48,083.20. Provides support and some oversight to Help Me Grow (HMG) activities.

Click here for more > https://www.elc-marion.org/about-us/careers/

Help Me Grow Florida

• JOIN THE HELP ME GROW TEAM •

The Help Me Grow Care Coordinator I position is open and you might be the perfect candidate! Our Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc Job Fair will be held on Thursday, May 30 from 4 to 6 P.M. and we have several other positions available!

Click the following link for more on the HELP ME GROW position. We can't wait to meet you!
https://www.elc-marion.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2023-07-Programs-Dept-HMG-Care-Coordinator-1.pdf

‼‼‼ PLEASE NOTE THIS WEEK'S LOCATION CHANGE ‼‼‼

You can register here (or by scanning the QR code on the flier) https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=12950533&appointmentType=51977385

This playgroup will resume at our usual location (Adams Bay Apartments Community Room) on May 15.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call (352) 369-2315, ext. 225 or email [email protected].

Have you heard of Kaleidoscope Play and Learn?

It's a FREE weekly playgroup for children up to the age of 5 and their parent/caregiver.

Join us each and every wednesday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Adams Bay Apartments, 621 NW 2nd St. Ocala, FL. 34475

Plus, we have snack!

See the attached flier for details! We hope to see you Wednesday!

What is HELP ME GROW?

Contact the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc and speak to any of their HMG staff to learn more!

Help Me Grow Florida

www.ELC-Marion.org

www.ELC-Marion.org

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library now in Marion County - Ocala Gazette The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County (ELCMC) has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to put free books in the hands of local children, ages birth to age 5, at no cost to the families. Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent ear...

Help Me Grow aims to serve parents, families and caregivers through education on a child's developmental milestones. We have FREE services that can help us see where your child's development is at, as compared to where professionals say they should be, based on age.

Is your child walking when they should? Talking? Holding things? Etc.

As the nation brings attention to , Help Me Grow Florida and Help Me Grow Marion County aims to help identify differences in social preferences, ways of learning, ways of communicating and/or ways of perceiving the environment in young children. We then help bridge families and caregivers to resources that can help!

Contact the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc for more information on and opportunities to have your child(ren) screened!

"The Help Me Grow program helps identify developmental, behavioral and educational issues with care coordinators to answer questions about child development, offer free developmental and behavior screenings and provide parenting guidance."

Learn more about Help Me Grow and the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc in this insightful article!

Help Me Grow Florida

Creating Pathways for Success - Ocala Style Magazine The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County helps improve school readiness rates for children from birth to 5 years old and offers numerous resources

Contact the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc for more information on Help Me Help Me Grow Marion County!

Happy ! At 4 years old, your child is able to name the colors of different items! Nurture their young minds by doing the following:

🌻Everyday Conversations: Engage in casual conversation about colors during daily activities, such as mealtime or walks.
🌻Play Color Games: Make learning interactive with color-themed games, like sorting objects by color or creating a color based scavenger hunt!
🌻Storytime Adventures: Choose books that emphasize colors, making reading an educational and colorful experience.

All children develop differently; however, if you have any developmental concerns, bring them up to your child's pediatrician or contact a Help Me Grow care coordinator through our website who will be able to connect you to necessary resources.

Have you ever compared your child's development to their peers? Have you asked, "Should my child be.... walking... talking.... standing.... by now?"

Contact the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc and speak to any of our Help Me Grow staff. They have FREE resources to help you better understand your child's developmental milestones and can bridge you to services that will help benefit your child!

Visit www.elc-marion.org for more information.

Help Me Grow Florida

Developmental monitoring, also known as developmental surveillance, involves the following key steps in order to assess how a child is growing in relationship to the age-appropriate expectations. Monitoring healthy development means paying attention to the child’s physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.

Eliciting parental concerns, such as by asking questions like “Do you have any questions about how your child is learning, behaving or developing?”

Documenting and maintaining a developmental history, including information about the child’s holistic growth.

Observing the child, in order to ensure their progress in developmental milestones in communication, cognitive processing, fine and gross motor skills, as well behavior.

Identifying risks and protective factors, in order to address the family’s specific needs and circumstances.

Maintaining an accurate record of findings over time, including input from others (schools, etc.).

A developmental screening is a short assessment to tell if a child is achieving these developmental milestones. Help Me Grow administers brief, validated, and standardized tools that aid in determining whether children are learning these basic skills when he or she should, or if there are delays.

Fewer than half of children with developmental delays are identified before starting school, by which time significant delays already might have occurred and opportunities for treatment might have been missed. Engaging in developmental surveillance and screening practices can help ensure children are making progress on critical skills and ensure they get the supports they need in order to achieve their best.

To take a FREE developmental screening for your child(ren) please visit https://www.elc-marion.org/help-me-grow/ where you can find an English and Spanish version of the screening.

Help Me Grow – Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. The goal of Help Me Grow Florida is to promote healthy development for every child in our state. Help Me Grow (HMG) is a unique, comprehensive, and integrated statewide system designed to address the need for early identification of developmental and/or behavioral concerns, and then to link children...

Ask the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc team about Kaleidoscope Play & Learn - a weekly facilitated playgroup for young children and their caregiver.

Join us any Wednesday, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Parkside Gardens Apartments Community Room (621 NW 2nd St. Ocala, Fl. 34475).

This is a FREE playgroup with snacks included, as well as storytelling, singing and playing.

For more information, contact Juan Diaz at (352) 369-2315, Ext. 225 or [email protected].

Help Me Grow Florida

Help Me Grow Marion County is available to families who want to learn more and have access to resources related to their child's developmental milestones.

Visit https://www.elc-marion.org/help-me-grow/ for more!

Help Me Grow Florida

Help Me Grow – Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. The goal of Help Me Grow Florida is to promote healthy development for every child in our state. Help Me Grow (HMG) is a unique, comprehensive, and integrated statewide system designed to address the need for early identification of developmental and/or behavioral concerns, and then to link children...

Help Me Grow promotes early identification of developmental, behavioral, and educational concerns, then links children and families to community-based services and supports at no cost to parents and caregivers.

For more info on Help Me Grow Marion, visit the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc. Our team is happy to help!

Meet our Help Me Grow Care Coordinators Visit www.helpmegrowfl.org to learn more and complete a free child developmental/behavioral screening.

Join the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc and Help Me Grow on Saturday, November 4 from 10 am to 2 pm for this FREE Books, Balls & Blocks event!

Please see the flier for more information or visit Help Me Grow Florida to learn more about Help Me Grow Florida. You can also call the ELCMC to speak to our Help Me Grow local team! (352) 369-2315, ext. 225.

See you there!

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.).

Check out the milestones that represent typical development. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, please contact us by visiting www.ELC-Marion.org.

You can also click > > > https://helpmegrowfl.org/developmental-milestones/

Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. – We Prepare Children for Success The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County is dedicated to providing children and families in our community with access to quality early learning programs that nurture their learning potential and prepare them for their educational success. It is our mission to provide leadership and foster partn...

The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc is having a BLAST during

Thank you Community Foundation Ocala Marion County and group ocala for the opportunity!

Mary's favorite non-profit is the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc

She stays healthy by coming into the office early to get in 2,000 steps before enjoying her coffee and getting to work!

Community Foundation Ocala Marion County

This is the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc team!

Foundation Ocala Marion County

We LOVE

Help Me Grow Marion contributed to a host of families last year. Here is a snapshot of what we were able to accomplish in 22/23!

If you want to learn more about or Help Me Grow Florida you can visit us online at www.ELC-Marion.org or call the ELCMC at (352) 369-2315.

Our HMG staff is happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have!

❓ WHAT IS HELP ME GROW ❓

👉 WHO WE ARE

We are child development experts who know the vital role parents play in promoting their child’s healthy development. Our experienced team is available by calling 2-1-1 and asking for “Help Me Grow.”

Help Me Grow® Florida is an affiliate of the national Help Me Grow network. Together, we are working to help all children thrive.

Help Me Grow® Florida is sponsored by the Children’s Forum and the State of Florida, Division of Early Learning.

👉 WHAT WE DO

Whether you have concerns or simply want to learn more about your child’s development, Help Me Grow® Florida is here for you.

👉 Help Me Grow® Florida provides:

• A care coordinator to help answer any questions you have about child development
• Customized support and connection to community services
• Free developmental and behavioral screenings
• Parenting tips and developmental activities

For more information on HELP ME GROW, please visit www.ELC-Marion.org. Call us today to begin a journey towards a brighter future!

Looking for a career? Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc is hosting a job fair!

By age 6-months, most children like to look at themselves in the mirror. They will bring things to their mouths and respond to sounds by making their own. They will begin to pass things from one hand to the other and roll over in both directions.

Different milestones in a child's first 5-6 years should be evident, but how do you know what to look for? This is where HELP ME GROW comes in!

We have resources to help parents and caregivers be able to evaluate their child to see if they are on track AND connect them to the appropriate resources if they are not.

Visit https://www.helpmegrowfl.org/developmental-milestones/ for a comprehensive list of how children should be developing at certain ages. Call us if you have questions or concerns and we are happy to help!

(352) 369-2315

Help Me Grow Florida

So, what exactly is HELP ME GROW?

The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County Inc provides a variety of services through many programs – all of which serves little learners and their families.

One of those programs is Help Me Grow Marion County and here is a quick glimpse of what that program offers.

For more information on this or any of our many services, please visit www.ELC-Marion.org.

Use Summer Play to Watch Your Child’s Development

As you spend time with your child this summer, observe their interactions and note any questions you may have about their development. If you have questions or concerns, a developmental screening can help identify any delays in your child’s growth development, connect you with needed support and help your child better prepare for the upcoming school year.

If you are not sure where developmental screenings are offered, contact us. You can also dial 2-1-1 to reach Help Me Grow, a contact line that will help you connect to developmental screenings or agencies that provide them and resources to support your child’s development.

Because children learn and grow at different rates, even the most attentive parents can miss some important milestones. Completing a developmental screening will give you a “snapshot” of your child’s development. If you are confused or concerned about the results of your child’s developmental screening, speak with your child’s health care provider and/or contact Help Me Grow at the Early Learning Coalition of Marion County.

(352) 369-2315 or

Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. – We Prepare Children for Success The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County is dedicated to providing children and families in our community with access to quality early learning programs that nurture their learning potential and prepare them for their educational success. It is our mission to provide leadership and foster partn...

Summer Science Makes for Dynamic Discoveries!

Children are natural investigators and their levels of understanding deepen over time with varied experiences. Exploration and discovery are ways that young children learn about the world. This summer, spend time with your child outdoors and allow them time to safely explore and discover.

You may observe your child:
• Birth-8 months – laughing at certain noises.
• 8-18 months – crawling to explore their environment.
• 18-24 months – beginning to use objects as tools.
• 24-36 months – paying close attention to things they see, hear or feel on a nature walk.
• 36-48 months – experimenting with mixing and pouring sand, water and other similar elements.
• 48 months – identifying sounds without seeing where they’re
coming from.

Learn more ways you can help grow your child’s scientific inquiry development at https://www.elc-marion.org/help-me-grow/.

Help Me Grow – Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Inc. The goal of Help Me Grow Florida is to promote healthy development for every child in our state. Help Me Grow (HMG) is a unique, comprehensive, and integrated statewide system designed to address the need for early identification of developmental and/or behavioral concerns, and then to link children...

Allow our HELP ME GROW staff to introduce you to FREE developmental resources for your child(ren) today!

Call us at (352) 369-2315, Ext. 225

Help Me Grow Marion County is available to families who want to learn more and have access to resources related to their child's developmental milestones.

Visit www.ELC-Marion.org for more!

If You’re Concerned About Your Child’s Development If you have concerns about development, here are steps you can take.