Minnesota Help Me Grow is an initiative to provide developmental services for children birth through age 6 free of charge. Brain research has advanced our understanding of how children’s brains develop. Today, we know that the brain rapidly develops between conception and age 3 and continues to change quickly through the age of 8. These early years of brain development are critical in a child’s ability to reach their full potential.
Help Me Grow services include speech, language, fine motor (cutting, gluing, writing, etc.), gross motor (running, jumping, etc.) and social development support.
These services are free for children who qualify. Services can be provided in your home, daycare, preschool settings or at Cook County School District.
The goal of Help Me Grow is to give every child the opportunity to be fully ready for kindergarten and to minimize school age special education needs. For example, children who qualify for speech services and are able to receive services prior to the start of school, often do not need services once they enter kindergarten. Instead of being pulled out of kindergarten for speech services, the children are able to attend kindergarten all day. If a child’s speech delays are not addressed prior to the start of kindergarten, not only is the child going to miss part of the kindergarten day, correcting the speech will take longer and require more intensive speech therapy to address the delays.
How do you know if your child qualifies for these free services? You, your child’s doctor, your childcare provider, even families and friends can refer a child to Help Me Grow through the following website: helpmegrowmn.org.
Another option is to call the school and ask for the district’s Early Childhood Special Education teacher, to set up a home visit or meeting at school. We can help you determine whether or not your child is on track for kindergarten or if your child may benefit from Help Me Grow services.
Regardless of whether you homeschool, plan on attending a charter school or Sawtooth Mountain Elementary, we can help you with the Help Me Grow process. Cook County School District is committed to the well-being of every child in Cook County and strongly encourages parents to call if they have any questions about their child’s development. Additionally, Minnesota state statutes require Independent School Districts to provide Help Me Grow services for any child birth through age 6 who qualifies.
Providing services early, when the brain is rapidly developing, is the key to minimizing, perhaps even eliminating, the need for special education services required after the start of kindergarten. We are anxious to help!
Please contact us at the following emails if you have any questions, kblomberg@isd166.org or bschwarz@isd166.org
Each month a representative of our local schools will offer thoughts in Issues in Education. This month’s contributor is Beth Schwarz, superintendent of School District 166.
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