Alabama Partnership for Children

The Alabama Partnership for Children (APC) is a nonprofit organization located in Montgomery that works statewide to help build and maintain systems that serve children birth to age five and their families. The agency is the co-lead for Help Me Grow Alabama and is committed to developing Help Me Grow as an effective statewide service.

Along with Help Me Grow, the APC has other programs that connect new parents to resources, serve child care providers in education and professional development, and advocate for investment in early childhood systems overall. Each program of the APC is designed to give young children a Smart Start in life. APC does everything in partnership with other public, private, state and local organizations. It believes that interaction with and input from others is the only way to effectively improve communities and make long-term impact on people's lives.

Through Help Me Grow, the Alabama Partnership for Children is dedicated to protecting children by encouraging parents, providing information and awareness about appropriate child development, supporting efforts to identify developmental delays, and connecting children and families to the services they need. Call 1-866-711-4025 or visit www.SmartStartAlabama.org to learn more.

Let's Play!

A few weeks ago, HMG staff hosted a Books, Balls, and Blocks event in Walker County. Help Me Grow: Books, Balls, and Blocks (BBB) is a free event held for children and their families. The purpose of the event is to screen children for developmental delays in the first five years of life.

The event is fun, educational, and exciting! While children engage in games and activities at different stations, parents learn how these interactions help stimulate their child’s development. 

This child LOVED sensory play in the pool of packing peanuts.

While the children are playing, parents complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3). The ASQ-3 is reliable, valid, cost-effective, and easy to use. The ASQ-3 is the recommended tool to screen children for developmental delays. There are professionals on-site who score the completed ASQ-3's. Afterwards, parents receive a follow-up from a professional to learn if his or her child’s development 1) appears on schedule, 2) needs to be monitored and provided learning activities, or 3) requires further assessment with a professional.

Parents are given resources concerning their child’s development and fun activities that they can do with their child! Free community resources are also available at the event!

Our hope is for “Help Me Grow: Book, Balls, and Blocks” to be a free, fun, and exciting event, while supporting healthy development among children in your community.