Growing families meet at the fair

Children played and parents talked and ate at the Old Mill Stream Centre, out of the heat of the rest of the Hancock County Fair, at the new family relaxation station on Thursday. Hancock Public Health's Help Me Grow program, along with Women's Resource Center, WIC and Head Start, created the space. It offers air-conditioned, private spaces to pump breast milk and baby changing stations, along with a play area for older children. Alexa Heacock, Help Me Grow program manager, said the idea came about when her team realized the Hancock County Fair had no dedicated space for breastfeeding or changing a baby. The relaxation station is open to any families with young kids. But on Thursday, families enrolled in Help Me Grow also got free admission to the fair. On Thursday only they were able to use more of the Old Mill Stream Centre, and pizza was donated for the families. Heacock described Help Me Grow as an in-home visiting program to support pregnant mothers and children under age 3. It provides mental health assessments for both children and mothers, as well as developmental screenings. The seven-person team includes people with backgrounds in nursing, social work and education. Heacock said this means that if a family has a particular need, they have different types of experts on hand that can help them. Families must meet income guidelines for Medicaid or WIC, although they do not need to actually be enrolled in these programs. The health department provides incentives for participating, such as diapers, wipes and phone cards. As a single mother, Brittany Clinger said those diapers and wipes have helped her out. She was at the fair Thursday with her three children, ages 6, 5 and 1. She worked with Allen County's Help Me Grow program before Hancock County's, and said they helped especially with her middle child, who has autism. Clinger's oldest child, Zoltan, said his favorite thing at the fair is the horses. "And the rides," he added — especially the Ferris wheel, because it doesn't make him dizzy. Kyrsten Carlin was there with daughter Adah Leatherwood, who is almost 2 years old. Carlin, now 18, became pregnant at age 16 and gave birth at 17. She said a counselor at Findlay High School connected her with Help Me Grow in her first trimester. "They've just given me a lot of support," she said. She said this includes practical help, like the diapers, but also being there to talk if she has questions. Carlin graduated from high school this year, and works at a daycare center. She said Adah especially likes the ponies at the fair. Abbi Leathem said Help Me Grow has helped her connect with needed resources, such as helping her find school clothes for her children and assisting her with turning in applications for assistance to other agencies. And, she said, they've provided emotional support through it all. Leathem's children are 6, 3 and almost 1. Jenna Love was also at the relaxation station, with her two children. Her third child is due Sept. 11. Love said Help Me Grow has helped her children develop intellectually, such as helping them learn their colors. She and her children, Sam, 19 months, and Arthur, 2, have gotten to know some other families involved with Help Me Grow at group activities. Clinger said some parents may be reluctant to get involved with Help Me Grow, because they worry that if something is wrong, they might get in trouble with Child Protective Services. But her experience is that they're there to help, she said. Heacock said that, once the visitors get to the home, the families realize they're just there to help build bonds. They can meet families at other locations, like the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, as well. Children age out of the program when they turn 3. But many families also have older children who have graduated from Help Me Grow. So, Heacock and her team get to see how those children are doing now that they're older. "We get to see the kiddos grow up," said Lisa Barth, lead home visitor for the program. There are 130 families enrolled in the program. Most are from Hancock County, but a new contract allows Hancock Public Health to work with up to 10 families in southern Wood County, including North Baltimore, Bloomdale and Fostoria. Heacock said there are open slots in Wood County. There's a waiting list in Hancock County, but she said the wait is often short, as children graduate when they turn 3. Interested families should call 419-424-7871. The program is funded through the Ohio Department of Health. The Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities has its own separate Help Me Grow program for children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. Cheryl Miller, public information officer for Hancock Public Health, said Help Me Grow sometimes gets referrals from the Children with Medical Handicaps program. If a child is not hitting their developmental marks when expected, this program can pay for medical testing. The program is funded by the state, and is not limited to certain income thresholds. For more information, call Alexa Dreyer at 567-250-5139.