Getting to Know Arkeisha

I am excited to have joined the Project LAUNCH team and look forward to implementing the Help Me Grow model in Tuscaloosa County. What most attracted me to Help Me Grow is the fact that it combined the most enjoyable parts of my previous work experience. I always enjoyed working directly with children and families and being able to witness the positive changes that occurred as a result of information and resources I was able to provide or link them with.

Since I began in January, there have been lots of exciting things going on. Our first local Young Child Wellness Council meeting was held in February. We worked on completing an environmental scan of the county to assess available resources as well as gaps in services. During that work session, we found that although Tuscaloosa has many services, there are still some substantial gaps that we hope to fill by implementing Project LAUNCH and Help Me Grow. It was exciting to see agencies and professionals that serve children and families come together for a common purpose.

As part of the Help Me Grow initiative, we have scheduled two Books, Balls, and Blocks events. At these events, children are able to engage in developmentally appropriate play while their parents complete Ages & Stages Questionnaires, which will help identify developmental delays. There will also be resources made available to the parents that will address any concerns that they may have. Hosting these events will help promote the use of developmental screenings and increase early detection of developmental delays. This is important because it’s more effective and cost efficient to grow healthy children than it is to rehabilitate them as adults.

I am so thankful to be a part of Help Me Grow and Project LAUNCH at the local level. I am looking forward to seeing how this work is going to benefit children and families in the Tuscaloosa area.

HMG Staff Spotlight: Arkeisha Thomas

Arkeisha Thomas was hired in January 2015 with Child Development Resources at The University of Alabama as the Project LAUNCH Specialist. Arkeisha is responsible for local coordination of Help Me Grow and Reach Out and Read in Tuscaloosa County. She graduated from The University of Alabama with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. Arkeisha has 14 years of experience working with children and families in several different capacities, including classroom teacher, case management, home visitation, Fatherhood Initiative, and career development. Arkeisha is really excited to be a part of the team and to contribute to the impact that Help Me Grow has on the children of Alabama.

Getting to Know Katie

Last week we got to meet Katie Naman, Help Me Grow Alabama Coordinator. Here's a little information about what she's been up to...

I am so excited to join the Alabama Partnership for Children as the new HMG Alabama coordinator, and to have the opportunity to help expand a program that has already done such great work in Alabama. It’s been a little over a month since I came on board, but in that brief time, I have been so lucky to attend great meetings and witness how clearly Help Me Grow fits into the early childhood community.

The first meeting I attended was the “Doing What Matters” conference in Tuscaloosa that brought together leaders like Melanie Bridgeforth from VOICES for Alabama’s Children to share how far Alabama has come in national rankings for health, school readiness, and education, and the challenges to keep improving. Next, I was able to meet some of the amazing HMG leadership team to gain a historical perspective on HMG in Alabama and the hard work behind where we are today. We joined the Project LAUNCH team that same day for the first Young Child Wellness Council meeting that brought together early childhood leaders from around the state who will utilize HMG to increase developmental screening and identify the barriers and gaps in services in Alabama. My next stop was the Governor’s Early Childhood Education Leadership Summit in Montgomery, where we heard from national and state leaders about the exciting momentum in brain development research, early child care, and Alabama’s First Class Pre-K. It became even more apparent after hearing the information how these shared goals align with HMG’s mission to achieve the earliest identification and intervention for children at risk for developmental delays. Finally, at the end of February I attended the 14th Annual Alabama Autism Conference that gave attendees the opportunity to hear from leaders like Dr. Ami Klin who pointed to the critical “window of change” between birth and 3 years old where early diagnosis could have the greatest impact on the quality of life for a child and their family.

Last month I met many different people and heard from many different speakers, but they all had one important thing in common. They all want what is best for Alabama’s children and recognize that it is essential to invest the time and resources into early childhood to ensure every child has the best chance to be healthy and happy. I thought Commissioner Nancy Buckner highlighted perfectly the importance of ensuring the highest quality programs and initiatives for children when she said, “It’s far less costly to raise a healthy child, then to repair a dysfunctional adult”. I think Help Me Grow will be a vital link in making this a reality in Alabama, and I am so grateful to be in a position where I can help make it happen!

HMG Staff Spotlight: Katie Naman

It's been a while since we've posted, but that's because there have been exciting new changes and growth among the HMG staff. First, let's meet Katie Naman...

Katie recently joined our staff as the Help Me Grow Alabama Coordinator. The Help Me Grow initiative is currently being implemented in the Central Alabama area, and Katie has joined the APC to continue working towards statewide expansion. Katie received a B.S. degree in Nutrition Science from Auburn University and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health Leadership and Policy from UAB. She recently completed internships with both the Alabama Interagency Autism Coordinating Council (AIACC) and the Autism Society of Alabama. She also comes with research experience from UAB and over 10 years of direct child care experience. Katie is originally from Mobile, Alabama and will soon be moving to the Montgomery area from Birmingham.