There have been some changes in Early Childhood services in Ohio, resulting in changes for us here in Allen County. Most importantly, there is now a central number for all Early Childhood referrals in Ohio.
If you have questions or concerns about your child’s development, please call 1-800-755 GROW (4769).
Once a referral is made and transferred to the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities, one of our Early Intervention Service Coordinators will come to your home, answer your questions, and learn about your child’s current strengths and areas for improvement. Our coordinators will want to know all about the successes and challenges you encounter during your daily routine. These services are completely confidential, and our goal is to help you help your child grow up healthy and strong!
Additionally, you may be eligible for assistance from the Help Me Grow home visiting program, which we’ve just transitioned to a new provider.
Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center is the new Help Me Grow provider for Allen County. If you’ve worked with Help Me Grow before, you’ll be happy to hear that Sarah Lyons, Mandy Rinker, and Julie Robinson will continue working with the families they served at our agency. In fact, some families may already be receiving phone calls to set up visits with the new agency. We are so pleased with how well the transition is going, and we thank you for your patience as we finish up.
The new Help Me Grow office is located at the St. Rita’s Urgent Care building:
967 Bellefontaine Ave. Suite 200 Lima, Ohio 45804
You can reach the Home Visitors here:
Sarah Lyons, 419-265-9753 Mandy Rinker, 419-265-9265 Julie Robinson, 419-266-9992
We know there have been so many changes – a new phone number for referrals, a new agency providing home visiting services, and new faces for some. However, we hope you will remember that the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities is here to serve infants, toddlers and children with developmental delays or disabilities. Please do not hesitate to call Barb Blass, our Early Childhood Coordinator, at 419-221-1262, ext. 5419 if you have any questions. We love our babies and are so blessed to serve these special little people!