Help Me Grow Home Visiting
Help Me Grow Home Visiting provides young families in Franklin County with a continuum of services from birth to school entry, supporting parents through the first critical 2,000 days in their child’s life.
Help Me Grow is Ohio’s evidence-based parent support program that encourages early prenatal and well-baby care, as well as parenting education to promote the comprehensive health and development of children.
Our Home Visitors can:
- Provide support for you
- Help you plan a healthy pregnancy
- Share tips to help your child be healthy, stay safe and learn
- Listen to your questions and concerns
- Help to find resources that meet your needs
Even better, every visit is free!
To learn more or request Help Me Grow Home Visits, please send an email to Amanda Bornheim or call 614-224-0222, ext. 940.
Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK)
SPARK Columbus is a family-focused kindergarten-readiness program that works collaboratively with families, schools, and the community. Action for Children’s SPARK Columbus program can help you get your child ready for kindergarten by building literacy, math, and social-emotional skills that will help create a seamless transition into school.
Each month, a SPARK Columbus Parent Partner will guide you on how to become your child’s first and best teacher. SPARK Columbus is a FREE home-visiting program that includes:
- Monthly virtual visits via Zoom
- FREE storybooks and learning materials
- School-readiness lessons based on Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards
- Extended learning through online group activities
- Support with kindergarten registration
- Linkages to community resources
SPARK measures school readiness through math and literacy assessments. Our research shows that children who score at least average on these assessments are more likely to score higher on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) once they enter kindergarten. Of our 2020 SPARK graduates, 81% scored average or above average on their literacy and math assessments.
Do you want to learn how to help your child get ready for kindergarten? If you live in Franklin County and have a child between 3-5 years old we can help!
NOW ENROLLING – APPLY TODAY
To get connected with a SPARK Columbus Parent Partner, please send an email to Abby Alexander or call 614-224-0222, ext. 168.
SPARK FAQ
- Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids
- SPARK serves 3- and 4-year-olds who are eligible to begin Kindergarten within the next two school years.
- Each program year begins in August and runs through July.
- The 3-year-old cohort receives 10 lessons within each program year.
- The 4-year-old cohort receives 12 lessons within each program year.
- Absolutely; the longer your child is enrolled in SPARK, the more our team helps you strengthen your child’s school-readiness skills. Most families who enroll when their child is 3, continue into the 4-year-old cohort year.
- You must reside in Franklin county.
- Your child must be age-eligible to begin Kindergarten within the next two years based on the school district you reside in.
- You must meet income requirements.
- Internet access for virtual visits.
- Our program philosophy is that parents are their child’s first and best teacher, so Parent Partners will support that Learning Advocate through modeling and helping you take an active role in each visit.
- We will provide a learning packet for every visit that includes a book along with materials for you to do with your child during and in-between visits.
- During visits, the Parent Partner along with the Learning Advocate work together to read a story and work on activities with the child to strengthen their school-readiness skills.
- The activities allow the child to learn through play.
- Each lesson builds on school-readiness skills which allow your child to be introduced to new developmental building-blocks during each visit.
- At this time the program offered through our agency is only available in English.
- While we support families of various cultures and languages, we request that at least one adult in the home speaks English so we can adequately support the family.
- For the 3-year-old cohort, a lesson is generally 45 minutes - 1 hour.
- For the 4-year-old cohort, a lesson is generally 1-1.5 hours.
- You will need a device with internet access (i.e. phone, tablet or computer).
- Visits are typically scheduled via Zoom. Your Parent Partner will walk you through the necessary steps.
- Your Parent Partner will work with you to create specific goals to help strengthen your child’s school-readiness skills.
- Monthly online group activities focused on literacy and math skills are provided. Group activities also develop social-emotional skills for your child and give your family an opportunity to engage with other families. Each group runs for 30 minutes.
- Yes! There is no fee to enroll or participate. Materials for lessons and group activities are provided by the program.