Central Intake and Referral (CIR) processed 11,096 system referrals for EI in the fourth quarter. Of those, more than 8,758 program referrals were assigned to local EI providers across the state.

From the Ohio Department of Health, CIR received 397 referrals for children with elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) and 123 referrals for children diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)*.

*The NAS referrals referenced here are referrals CIR receives from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). These referrals are only for children whose NAS diagnosis has been verified through ODH’s Ohio Connections for Children with Special Needs (OCCSN) system and constitute a small subset of the overall number of children diagnosed with NAS.

If you haven't heard, CIR is now offering the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Online screening!

Ohio families and anyone working with children under age three can use the screening to understand how a child is developing. Once the screening is completed, someone from CIR will contact the family to discuss the results.

The ASQ Online serves as a child-find strategy for Help Me Grow services. Since its launch in the spring, CIR has been able to refer families who used the screening tool to both Home Visiting and Early Intervention. 

As a part of childcare outreach, CIR has developed a tip card and cover letter aimed at childcare providers to educate them about Early Intervention and how to talk about the program.

Tip card design

Materials were reviewed by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Child Care Advisory Council, and will be delivered to childcare facilities throughout the fiscal year.

In July, the Ohio Department of Health offered a webinar on the eligibility criteria for Home Visiting services for EI service coordinators. Home Visiting, like Early Intervention, is a part of the Help Me Grow system of supports.

In case you missed it, you can access the slides and a recording of the webinar on the Ohio Early Intervention website. 

CIR, in collaboration with the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio, hosted a Help Me Grow booth at the 2022 Ohio State Fair this past summer. Booth activities included craft, selfie, referral, and story time stations where families gathered to sign up and learn more about Help Me Grow services and the Imagination Library.

An estimated 7,200 fairgoers stopped by the booth over the 12 days of the fair! CIR saw an increase in family and friend referrals during the fair's duration for both Home Visiting and Early Intervention.

We would like to thank our collaborators at the Governor's Office; leadership at the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities; outreach and intake staff statewide who worked the booth; and First Lady Fran DeWine for stopping by to read a book during story time.

Do you have any questions regarding anything in this email?

Contact us at communications@helpmegrow.org.

Visit us today at www.helpmegrow.org.