Central Intake and Referral (CIR) processed 11,397 system referrals for EI in the third quarter. Of those, more than 9,101 program referrals were assigned to local EI providers across the state.

From the Ohio Department of Health, CIR received 338 referrals for children with elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) and 89 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.

CIR is happy to announce that the Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) Online screening in now available! Ohio families with children under age three can use the screening to understand how their child is developing and whether there are any concerns. 

After completing the ASQ Online screening, a Help Me Grow specialist will discuss the results with the individual that completed the screening and assist them with next steps-- such as providing age appropriate developmental activities, referring to EI or Home Visiting, and connecting them to community resources.

Specific Delays Flyers

CIR worked with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) and their partners on the EI Advisory Council to finalize Specific Delays flyers that offer plain language about specific, yet common developmental delays, detailing how EI can help address the family's concerns. Local EI providers can order the flyers through the Help Me Grow website.

CIR will be representing Help Me Grow at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus July 27-August 7! In collaboration with the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library, Help Me Grow will be hosting a booth in the Ohio Expo Center the entire length of the fair. 

Booth activities will include:

• a craft station, where children can make flower fan art as a part of the Governor’s Children’s Passport Initiative;
• a selfie station, where families can snap photos at a free-standing kiosk while also registering for the Imagination Library;
• a story time station, where families can gather for a new story each hour from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. each day;
• and finally, 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! 

Have you visited our interactive Community Resource Directories lately?

Did you know that these directories are updated every quarter with new providers and current contact information for a variety of early childhood services and resources available in all 88 Ohio counties?

Professionals and families alike can search for providers by service area, category, county, keyword, or zip code. Find what you are looking for today at helpmegrow.org/directories.