“The Help Me Grow Difference: A better future starts with Help Me Grow. By supporting our young children today, we promote healthier and more prosperous communities tomorrow.”
Help Me Grow Maine 2023 Annual Report (PDF)
What is Help Me Grow Maine?
Help Me Grow (HMG) Maine is a free information line linking families and professionals to information about child development, pregnancy, and community resources for children all over Maine up to the age of eight years old.
Call today by dialing 211 option 5 to speak to a Family Support Specialist who will listen, link you to services, and provide ongoing support when needed.
HMG Maine is an affiliate of the National Help Me Grow Network. Together, we are working to help all children thrive.
Help Me Grow Maine Services
Helping Young Children Thrive
A network of community resources works like a power grid. When the grid functions well, families can plug into an organized flow of resources and easily access the ones they need. Help Me Grow strengthens the grid by supporting a current directory of available services and connecting service providers to each other to create an interconnected system.
Eligibility
Help Me Grow Maine is a free information line available to service providers, pregnant parents, and families with children up to eight years of age throughout Maine.
Developmental Screening
Developmental milestones matter! How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, or moves is important to their growth. All young children need both developmental monitoring and screening to ensure they are on track for a healthy life.
Visit the Developmental Screening page for more information on the importance of developmental screening and how to access screening services provided through Help Me Grow.
Resources
In any given community, there are quality early learning opportunities, health care services, agencies that supply parent support, and other types of resources that help children thrive. The network of these community resources forms a grid that works to keep children healthy, supplies them with opportunities for success, and helps them develop to their full potential. By working to set up partnerships across sectors that affect the lives of children and families, Help Me Grow builds an effective grid of connected service providers that best serves families within the state of Maine.
Maine’s Help Me Grow Collaborating Partners
- 211 Maine
- Access Maine Resource Directory
- Adoptive Foster Families of Maine
- Child Care Choices: ME
- Child Care Subsidy Program (CCSP)
- Child Development Services
- Children’s Behavioral Health
- Cradle ME
- FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) Maine
- GEAR Parent Network - for parents of children with emotional/behavioral health needs
- Head Start
- Health Care Coverage
- Learn the Signs. Act Early. -Developmental Milestones Information
- Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research
- Maine Autism Society
- Maine CDC Care Coordination for Children With Special Needs
- Maine CDC Public Health Nursing
- Maine Early Childhood Consultation Partnership (ECCP) - mental health consultation for caregivers of young children
- Maine Families
- MaineMOM - support for new parents and pregnant people struggling with substance use disorder
- Maine Parent Federation - for parents of children with special needs
- Earliest Interactions - for parents of children who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
- McKinney-Vento Education in Maine - support for children experiencing housing instability
- NAMI Maine - for mental illness support/respite care
- Public Preschool
- Safe Sleep for ME
- WIC Nutrition Program
Refer a Family
If you know a family who may need support, please refer with their permission by using our online referral form, dialing (207) 624-7969 or completing a referral form and faxing to (207) 624-7994.
Data Collection and Analysis
Understanding how our system works is important. Data collection is the process of gathering, measuring, and analyzing data. Evaluation of the Help Me Grow system helps to assess how well it is working or what may need to be changed to improve the service and its outcome. Data is collected at the individual level and personal health information remains confidential.
Data that will be collected:
- Help Me Grow Demographics
- Nature of Call
- Linking Families to Services and Programs
- Help Me Grow outcomes
- Service System Gaps and Barriers
Resources and Information Sheets
Post Cards
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
A Family's Journey: A resource that will guide anyone through the process of Help Me Grow Maine.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
ASQ 3 vs ASQ:SE-2: A resource to show the similarities and differences between ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE-2.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
Milestone Moments Booklet: A free booklet created by Learn the Signs. Act Early on a child’s milestones. This book covers milestones from 2 months to 5 years of age.
[English] [Spanish]
Help Me Grow, First4ME & ECCP®: A breakdown of the three programs.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
Help Me Grow Maine Timeline: A timeline of how Help Me Grow Maine began in the State of Maine to its launch date.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
HMG & Health Care Fact Sheet: A resource for healthcare providers.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
Help Me Grow & Health Care: A two-page resource for healthcare providers.
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
Locating Services and Supports Fact Sheet: A flyer that can be used to understand what Access Maine and 211 Maine mean and how they can help.
[English]
Forms
HMG ME Authorization Form
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
HMG ME Revocation Form
[English] [Arabic] [French] [Haitian Creole] [Khmer] [Lingala] [Portuguese] [Somali] [Spanish] [Vietnamese]
Help Me Grow Maine Contacts
Follow Help Me Grow Maine on Facebook today!
Have any questions? We’d love to hear from you.
Toll-Free: 1-833-714-7969
Work cell: 207-624-7969
Fax: 207-624-7994
e-mail: HelpMeGrow@maine.gov
Help Me Grow Program Manager
Jessica Wood
Work cell: (207) 446-9225
e-mail: Jessica.wood@maine.gov
Help Me Grow Administrative Assistant
Kimberly Montminy
Desk line: (207) 624-7979
e-mail: Kimberly.montminy@maine.gov
Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist
Melinda Corey
Work cell: (207) 441-1553
e-mail: Melinda.corey@maine.gov
Help Me Grow Developmental Screening Specialist
Camden Davis
Work cell: (207) 441-8731
e-mail: Camden.davis@maine.gov
Family Support Specialist & Cultural Broker
Jacques Ngaliema
Work cell: (207) 899-8106
Desk line: (207) 822-2121
e-mail: jacques.ngaliema@maine.gov
Family Support Specialist
Rachel Williams
Desk line: (207) 624-7984
e-mail: Rachel.williams@maine.gov
Family Support Specialist
Kelly Barnes
Work cell: (207) 460-1786
Desk Line: (207) 624-7983
e-mail: Kelly.barnes@maine.gov
Family Support Specialist
Hannah Whitmore
Desk Line: (207) 624-7987
e-mail: Hannah.whitmore@maine.gov
Policy and Data Program Specialist
Katherine Russum
Work cell: N/A
Desk Line: (207) 822-1049
e-mail: Katherine.russum@maine.gov
Early Intervention Contracts
Catherine Gibbs
Work cell: (207) 592-0569
Desk Line: N/A
e-mail: Catherine.gibbs@maine.gov