Greenville Will Pilot Statewide Intervention Program

South Carolina has been chosen as one of a handful of expansion sites for "Help Me Grow," an acclaimed comprehensive intervention program for children with developmental/behavioral problems. The national expansion is funded through a $340,700 grant from the New York City-based Commonwealth Fund.

The initial planning meeting takes place Thursday, December 4.

Greenville will serve as the pilot area, with the work led by the Children's Hospital of Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, the PRIDE program and the United Way of Greenville County. The program is expected to expand statewide. The comprehensive program will grow to include a live toll-free telephone service through which parents can get connected to services for their child's developmental/behavioral problems.

"Help Me Grow" originated at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Through the Commonwealth Fund grant, Connecticut Children's and its physician-in-chief Dr. Paul Dworkin will expand the program to five states over the next two years. South Carolina and Oregon are the first two states chosen under this grant; Connecticut Children's said it was impressed by the extensive local and state support for this effort in South Carolina.

"Lack of early detection and intervention has significant implications for these children's future academic and social functioning," said Dworkin, a founder of the program.

Help Me Grow estimates that 12 to 16 percent of American children experience developmental, behavioral and emotional disorders. Some officials estimate the number at closer to 15 to 20 percent. At GHS Children's Hospital, more than 3,500 children with developmental-behavioral issues are treated each year. Problems range from delays in language development to more complex disorders such as learning disorders, attention deficit disorders, autism and cerebral palsy.

"Being the recipient of this nationally competitive grant gives us the opportunity to put Greenville and our state in the national spotlight in a very positive way," said Dr. Desmond Kelly, medical director of GHS' nationally ranked Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. Kelly will serve as the Help Me Grow-South Carolina project director.

"In South Carolina, we have many of the necessary components for a system of early identification and referral of children at risk for developmental and behavioral problems. Connecticut has been able to create a system that is integrated, comprehensive and effectively connects families to services. We look forward to learning from their success."

Laurie Rovin, director of community affairs at United Way, said, "Early detection plays a critical role in our ability to meet the community impact goals for Greenville County, particularly in the areas of high school graduation and helping children start school safe, healthy and ready to learn."

Kelly and Rovin said Greenville was fortunate to have the PRIDE (Promoting Resources in Developmental Education) Program as a foundation on which to build the Help Me Grow program. PRIDE is a collaborative program dedicated to the healthy development of children from birth to age five, with a special emphasis on earlier identification of those at risk for developmental and behavioral delays.

"Through PRIDE's outreach efforts, child health providers already benefit from ongoing education and technical support in developmental screening practices," said Kelly. "But, earlier detection of developmental and behavioral delays must be accompanied by effective and appropriate linking of children and families to programs and services. Help Me Grow will give us the ability to identify gaps in services and direct our efforts in improving services."

Over the next two years, the Help Me Grow technical assistance team will explore ways to promote partnerships among community resources, potential funding sources and state agencies in order to enhance capacity and minimize cost.

Jane Witowski, PRIDE's program coordinator, said, "We are thrilled to be part of this great opportunity to replicate Help Me Grow and look forward to contributing to its success in a meaningful way." 

PRIDE began in 2004 as a three-year pilot program in Greenville County funded by The Duke Endowment. This initial investment attracted a wide variety of local support which has helped to build and sustain the program. PRIDE is a unique collaborative approach to assure earlier detection and interventions for children with developmental delays through education and training of pediatric primary care providers, parents, and child care providers. Now entering its fifth year, PRIDE has drawn interest from a host of state organizations and alliances as well as national health leaders such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commonwealth Fund and Harvard's Center on the Developing Child.  

Led by GHS Children's Hospital in partnership with The Center for Developmental Services, PRIDE also works closely with the United Way of Greenville County and other agencies in South Carolina that serve children and families.