No one is more familiar with the impact of our program than home visitors; and there are no better storytellers than the families who have participated in Help Me Grow programs. With that in mind, we are working to build a large story bank of videos, pictures, audio clips, and quotes about the Home Visiting program.

This summer, we will be filming more family profile videos all across Ohio, like the one shown above. We are asking Home Visiting providers statewide to join us by being a part of these videos! If your home visiting staff has a family who would be interested in being featured, please email us no later than Friday, July 14.

Nervous about participating? No need to be. We are working with a professional video production company that is eager to showcase everyone involved in their best light possible. 

The goal of the story bank is to increase the understanding and enthusiasm for Home Visiting amongst eligible families. It will also be used to recruit early childhood professionals to the Home Visiting field. Story bank content will be made available to Home Visiting providers before the end of 2023. 

As you may have heard, Help Me Grow Central Intake and Referral (CIR) are hosting baby showers thought December 2023 in counties with capacity below 85 percent or with a Nurse-Family Partnership program with capacity (highlighted in blue on the map).

These baby showers are an opportunity to engage with pregnant women and connect them to Home Visiting, resources, and other services in their community. 

Each baby shower will raffle a car seat, stroller, high chair, bath set, and diapers. Be sure to reach out to us if you are interested in collaborating or want more information.

Safe Sleep Kits

CIR will be distributing 35,000 safe sleep kits to birthing hospitals across the state, prioritizing counites with high sleep-related deaths, in SFY24.

Safe sleep kits will include a Help Me Grow tote; a sleep sack with “This Side Up” embroidery; the Home Visiting rack card; and safe sleep brochure.

CIR will also distributing 10,000 pregnancy kits to OB/GYN offices in SFY24. The goal is to inform pregnant women of Home Visiting and other topics related to a healthy pregnancy.

Kits include a Help Me Grow tote bag; Home Visiting brochure and referral card; OHBaby Kit flyer; Community Resource Directory/ASQ Online flyer; picture frame magnet; HEAR HER flyer; Your Guide to Breastfeeding magazine; pregnancy journal; pregnancy milestone stickers; and maternity socks.

Central Intake and Referral (CIR) processed 13,191 system referrals in the the third quarter of SFY23. A referral breakdown is below:

• Caregivers (9.5%);
• HEA8045 forms (7.9%) submitted by HV providers, as well as WIC offices, and other community agencies;
• Medical professionals (12.7%);
• Non-medical community (58.4%) including WIC, community agencies, county agencies, and electronic Pregnancy Risk Assessment Form (e-PRAF) referrals; and
• Public Children Service Agency (PCSA) 8021 forms (11.6%) submitted by children’s services agencies.

Of those system referrals, about 57 percent of those who accepted Home Visiting were pregnant women, and 42 percent were first-time moms.

Thank you to all the home visitors who came to speak with us at the Ohio Department of Health's Home Visiting Conference back in April! We also want to thank everyone who submitted card responses on the value of Home Visiting. It was great hearing about your experiences in the community.

CIR is working with a video production company to compile the interviews recorded at the conference. Once completed and approved, we will make the videos available on helpmegrow.org. We also plan to share the videos on social media and in emails that will educate families and professionals on the impact of Home Visiting.

CIR will again be representing Help Me Grow at the Ohio State Fair this year from July 26-August 6! In collaboration with the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library, the Help Me Grow booth will be in the Ohio Expo Center the entire length of the fair. Booth activities will include:

• a craft station, where children can make fan art as a part of the Governor’s Children’s Passport Initiative;
• a story time/play station; and
• a referral station where families can ask questions and get connected to Early Intervention and Home Visiting services.

If any of your families will be attending the state fair, have them be on the lookout for our booth! If you are visiting the state fair, please come say hi!

Do you have any questions regarding anything in this email?

Contact us at communications@helpmegrow.org.

Past editions of this eNewsletter can be found at helpmegrow.org/providers.