Help Me Grow / Build Up Pilot

We're delighted to announce the first cohort of our Build Up/Help Me Grow pilot initiative. The following ISDs are participating:

• Berrien
• Calhoun
• Copper Country
• Delta Schoolcraft
• Eaton
• Ingham
• Iosco
• Kalamazoo
• Livingston

This initiative will support the local child find responsibilities through a marketing and outreach campaign, care coordination, and intake support. Parents will be encouraged to review developmental information, complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), and talk to a Care Coordinator about appropriate programs and services. For children with ASQs that indicate possible atypical development, pilot ISDs will receive Build Up inquiries via miearlychildhood.org, enabling them to efficiently manage special education inquiries for children ages 3-5, similar to the process for Early On. We're eager to collaborate with this diverse group of ISDs to ensure a seamless experience for families and providers.  

Our outreach and marketing efforts will target these 9 communities. However, if a family from another county reaches out to us, we do have a .5 care coordinator on staff who can support  and connect them to local resources. 

Leading these efforts is Courtney Gupta, Help Me Grow Michigan Project Coordinator, now a part of the CCRESA OIP team.  New Care Coordinators are Emilie Brzak (1 FTE) and Lexie Schinderle (.5 FTE) .

These activities are funded by the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education through Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.