Florida became an affiliate of the Help Me Grow National network in 2012, with the simultaneous launching of the initiatives in Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties. The 2014 Florida Legislature appropriated $2 million to establish a Help Me Grow State Coordinating Office, provide an infrastructure for a state Help Me Grow program, and to launch five additional Help Me Grow sites.
The appropriated funds for Florida’s Help Me Grow were contracted through the Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, which was the designated the fiscal agent. Florida’s 2-1-1 organizations are the organizing entities and the central telephone access point for the local affiliated. Families will be offered a comprehensive inventory of public and private services and resources, spanning well beyond the developmental and behavioral issues of the child and addressing the full scope of needs of countless children and families across the state.
There are currently ten established affiliates and 2 established providers across the state. These include the following:
Help Me Grow Providers
Help Me Grow Florida Affiliates
- 2-1-1 Big Bend
- 2-1-1 Palm Beach/Treasure Coast
- 2-1-1 Broward
- 2-1-1 Brevard
- 2-1-1 Tampa Bay Cares, Inc.
- 2-1-1 Northwest Florida – United Way of Escambia County
- 2-1-1 Volusia-Flagler – United Way of Volusia Flagler Counties
- United Way 2-1-1 – Heart of Florida United Way
- United Way 2-1-1 – United Way Lee County
- United Ways of Northeast Florida 2-1-1
Soon, additional future affiliates will be joining the network to begin planning and resource building to cultivate the infrastructure for Help Me Grow with the support of the State Coordinating Office. For more information about your local Help Me Grow program, click here.