About Us
Help Me Grow LA helps local community programs and services work together. First 5 LA and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are joining with partners to make sure all children get connected to the services they need. When it comes to helping families, we all can work together – providers, local agencies and the community – to do better.
Help Me Grow LA is part of Help Me Grow California and the Help Me Grow National model. Help Me Grow affiliates across the country focus on four parts meant to improve developmental screenings, help service providers with coordination of services, and connect families to services that support their child's development. The four parts are:
All families in L.A. County have the support they need to help their young children get the best start in life and achieve optimal development.
Help Me Grow LA supports all families in promoting young children's development and lifelong success by connecting them to developmental services and supports that promote their child's well-being.
All children and their families should have the resources and opportunities needed for their best health and well-being. We are working to improve racial, social, economic, and environmental fairness by helping families and caregivers get quality resources to support their child's development.
Help Me Grow concept was launched in Connecticut.
HMG has a national network of 29 affiliates across the country; California becomes an affiliate of the national HMG network.
HMG LA Leadership Council and Workgroup released the Promoting Young Children's Optimal Development report, which outlined recommendations to guide planning and implementation of HMG LA.
First 5 LA and LACDPH customized a business plan that aligns and addresses the 2017 recommendations for HMG LA.
Orange County, California becomes the first affiliate to replicate the system.
First 5 LA, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, L.A. Care Health Plan and the American Academy of Pediatrics-(California Chapter 2) come together to form the HMG LA Leadership Council and Workgroup and convene 120 experts that work with children and their families to start planning an HMG system in Los Angeles.
First 5 LA partners with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to serve as the "organizing entity" for HMG LA.
First 5 LA, LACDPH, and members of the Community and Family Engagement Council engage other community partners (e.g., Pathways) to expand the HMG LA network of resources.
Help Me Grow concept was launched in Connecticut.
Orange County, California becomes the first affiliate to replicate the system.
HMG has a national network of 29 affiliates across the country; California becomes an affiliate of the national HMG network.
First 5 LA, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, L.A. Care Health Plan and the American Academy of Pediatrics-(California Chapter 2) come together to form the HMG LA Leadership Council and Workgroup and convene 120 experts that work with children and their families to start planning an HMG system in Los Angeles.
HMG LA Leadership Council and Workgroup released the Promoting Young Children's Optimal Development report, which outlined recommendations to guide planning and implementation of HMG LA.
First 5 LA partners with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to serve as the "organizing entity" for HMG LA.
First 5 LA and LACDPH customized a business plan that aligns and addresses the 2017 recommendations for HMG LA.
First 5 LA, LACDPH, and members of the Community and Family Engagement Council engage other community partners (e.g., Pathways) to expand the HMG LA network of resources.
One out of four children ages 0–5 in California is at risk for a developmental delay, yet only 1 in 3 have developmental screenings on time. About 70% of children with delays start kindergarten before their delays are found. In California, only 33.9% of children receive timely developmental screening. Some children who need help may not get the right services and supports, if they get any help. Children who get the services they need early in life need less support later and are more ready to succeed in school and life.
The Community and Family Engagement Council and Systems Synergy Council keep the family voice at the center of HMG LA, champion HMG LA in the community and workplace, and help ensure that HMG LA is a resource that families, caregivers, and child providers can always count on.
The Community Family Engagement Council (CFEC) is an advisory group to HMG LA. CFEC is made up of 12 parent champions. They are parents and caregivers with community leadership and outreach experience. The role of CFEC is to help ensure early childhood services and resources meet the needs of families with children with, or at risk of, behavioral and/or developmental delays and disabilities.
CFEC Members
The HMG LA Systems Synergy Council (SSC) is a group of leaders representing the key systems that make up the early identification and intervention (EII) continuum in L.A. County: school districts and local education agencies, child welfare, early care and education, community-based organizations, mental health, health care, regional centers, and family resource centers."
The role of the SSC is to:
Help Me Grow LA has openings for Family Partner positions! If you have lived experience in working with developmental services or a background in child development, and enjoy helping others, this could be the perfect job for you. Apply online with Healthcare Staffing Professionals or download our flier!
Family Partner Job Flier
Apply Online at Healthcare Staffing Professionals