This document summarizes a panel presentation on resources for early identification of children at risk for developmental delays. It discusses the objectives of reviewing developmental screening tools, increasing awareness of Help Me Grow (HMG) as a resource, and how HMG can support home visitors. It provides data on child well-being trends in South Carolina and the US. It then outlines challenges in developmental screening and solutions like HMG, a system for linking families to services. HMG launched in South Carolina in 2012 and has expanded access through a call center and outreach events while collecting data to improve the system.

1. Resources that Work!
A Panel Presentation
South Carolina Home Visiting Summit
Connect. Collaborate. Change.
September 29, 2014

2. Session Objectives
• Review opportunities for earlier identification
of children at-risk for d/b/l problems through
validated developmental screening tools.
• Increase awareness of Help Me Grow as a
resource for early identification and linkage to
services for at risk children.
• How HMG can enhance work of home
visitors.

3. Child Well Being Trends
THE GOOD NEWS
• More children attending preschool
• Fewer low-birth weight babies
• Fewer teen births
• More families where head of household has a
high school diploma
Source:
The
Annie
E.
Casey
Founda6on
2013
Kids
Count
Data
Book

4. Child Well Being Trends
THE NOT SO GOOD NEWS
• Children living in high-poverty areas
• Child poverty rate
• Children living in single-parent families
Source:
The
Annie
E.
Casey
Founda6on
2013
Kids
Count
Data
Book

5. South Carolina Trends
• 28% of children live in poverty- upward
trend over the last 5 years (US 23%)
• 32% of children 0-3 live in poverty (US
26%)
• 55% of children don’t attend preschool
(US 54%)
• 42% of children live in single parent
homes (US 35%)
Source:
The
Annie
E.
Casey
Founda6on
2013
Kids
Count
Data
Book

6. Where We Rank
• Of the 50 states, South Carolina’s overall
rank of child well-being is…
45
Source:
The
Annie
E.
Casey
Founda6on
2103
Kids
Count
Data
Book

8. Why is early identification/
intervention important?
• All parents have some questions or concerns
about their child’s development
• Developmental delays might be a clue to
underlying treatable medical condition
• Early identification, if linked with appropriate
interventions, mitigates negative effect of
problems
• Strong evidence that early intervention is
effective in improving developmental
outcomes

9. The Challenge
• Over 15% of children have some form of
developmental-behavioral problem
• Only 20 – 30% of children with problems are
identified before school entrance
• Only 50% of families report developmental
assessment by their doctors
Halfon N, Regalado M. Assessing development in the pediatric office.
Pediatrics 2004:113 (6 suppl)1926-1933

10. Developmental Screening
• Administration of brief standardized tool
that aids the identification of children at
risk for developmental problems
• Identifies areas in which a child’s
development differs from same-age norms
• Repeated screening more effective in
identifying delays – especially later-
developing skills such as language

11. Who should be doing
developmental screening?
• Pediatricians (AAP Guidelines)
• Primary Care Physicians
• Early Intervention Agencies – “Childfind”
• School Districts
• Parents
• Child Care Providers
• Home Visitors

12. When to do screening?
• American Academy of Pediatrics’ Policy
recommends screening at minimum of 9
months, 18 months, and 24 or 30 months.
AND
• Autism screen at 18 months

13. Screening Tools
• Important to use standardized tool not just
a check list
• Several easy to use tools available
• Variety of costs involved
• New tool in development that will be free

14. Ages and Stages
Questionnaire
• Parent completed
• 2- 60 months
• 30 items-10 -15 minutes to complete
• Can be done on line or on paper
• Cut-off scores in 5 dev. domains indicating
need for further evaluation
• Companion tool for social-emotional
screening

15. Challenges
• Barriers to screening in medical offices
– Time
– Reimbursement
– What to do with positive results?
• Fragmented and uncoordinated
community services
– Different definitions
– Different screening instruments
– Lack of communication between providers

16. Solutions
• More efficient screening instruments and
systems (completed by parents and
caregivers)
• Focus on those groups at higher risk for
developmental problems
• Improving communication and
collaboration among providers
• New systems designed to connect dots

17. What is Help Me Grow?
• A system for linking families to existing
services and supports for children birth to
8 at risk for developmental, behavioral, or
learning problems
• National best practice model being
replicated in 23 states. GHS is lead
partner in SC.

18. HMG CT Video
• http://youtu.be/lfupI4bARLk

19. The National Perspective

20. Core Components

21. HMG Planning Team 2009-2012
A Collaborative Effort
• Lead Planning Partners:
• Children’s Hospital of Greenville Health System
• SC DHEC (ECCS)
• United Way Association of South Carolina
• SC AAP
• Family Connection
• SC Department of Education
• First Steps (BabyNet)
• SC Children’s Trust
• United Way of Greenville County

22. Help Me Grow Phase 1
2012-2014
• Specialized early childhood call center
established as part of UW 211
• Initial outreach to pediatric primary care and
key community partners targeting high risk
populations
• Greenville/Pickens counties

23. Help Me Grow Phase 2
2014-2017
• Upstate expansion
• Charleston area expansion through
MIECHV/ Support to HV programs
throughout state
• Continued connection to state agencies

24. Centralized Telephone
Access Point
• Launched in September 2012
• Universal family friendly access point-help for questions about child
development and parenting topics
• Child development experts answer calls, assess needs, connect
families to community-based programs and services
• Developmental screening offered at no cost
• Comprehensive early childhood resource data base
• Follow up with families/feedback to medical home
• Ages and Stages developmental monitoring system

25. The Early Scorecard
• 562 child intakes
• 13 counties represented
• #1 issue- behavioral concerns
• 877 referrals made
• 285 screenings completed directly through
website, family engagement events, and
targeted community partnerships

26. Community Outreach
• Community networking opportunities
• In-service presentations
• Family engagement events
• Active participation in local and state early
childhood groups
• Special focus on Hispanic families

27. Data Collection
• Understanding all aspects of the HMG
system, including identification of service
gaps and barriers to service.
• To inform policy and decision makers
• To provide feedback for quality
improvements

28. HMG Resources

29. Help Me Grow Family
Engagement Events

30. How can HMG help you?
• Refer to and from HV programs
• Support developmental screening efforts
• Continued monitoring after child ends HV
• Explore partnership opportunities
• Creative and blended funding
• Be a child advocate

31. Questions?
Jane Witowski
jwitowski@ghs.org
www.helpmegrowsc.org