An Act To Establish the Help Me Grow Program
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 2159
Committee: Health and Human Services

Legislative Document
No. 2159
S.P. 785
In Senate, March 17, 2020
An Act To Establish the Help Me Grow Program
Reported by Senator GRATWICK of Penobscot for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Resolve 2019, chapter 66, section 1.
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA c. 101-A is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 101-A
HELP ME GROW PROGRAM
§264.  Help Me Grow program established
1.  Program established.  The Help Me Grow program, referred to in this chapter as 
"the program," is established in the department as a comprehensive, statewide, 
coordinated system of early identification, referral and follow-up for children from 
prenatal care up to 8 years of age and their families with an emphasis on increasing 
access to the early periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment services required by 
Medicaid and on a schedule set by the department.  In developing and administering the 
program, the department shall maintain affiliate status with a national center that offers a 
program that includes technical assistance and a model for strengthening early childhood 
systems and services and meet any requirements necessary to maintain fidelity to the 
program offered by the center.
2.  Staffing; coordination.  The department shall appoint a coordinator of the 
program to work collaboratively across offices within the department, the Children's 
Cabinet established in Title 5, section 19131, the Department of Education and other 
applicable departments.
§265.  Duties of Help Me Grow program
The Help Me Grow program shall:
1.  Expansion of services.  Increase the rate of children screened at all appropriate 
locations, including, but not limited to, early childhood education facilities, child care 
facilities, Head Start facilities, Early Head Start facilities, regional sites of the Child 
Development Services System under Title 20-A, section 7209 and health care providers 
to ensure access to early periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment and other related 
services to promote children's healthy development;
2.  Coordinated system.  Develop a coordinated system of early identification, 
referral and follow-up services across early childhood education, child care facilities, 
Head Start, Early Head Start, the Child Development Services System under Title 20-A, 
section 7209, health care providers and family supports;
3.  Delivery of services.  Improve the delivery of services covered by early periodic 
screening, diagnosis and treatment required by Medicaid and other related services to 
promote children's healthy development;
4.  Centralized access point.  Develop a centralized access point for families, 
caregivers and professionals to obtain information about early periodic screening, 
diagnosis and treatment services.  The centralized access point must be available by 
telephone, the Internet and other communication platforms;
5.  Electronic directory; information dissemination.  Compile and maintain an 
electronic directory of resources with respect to service providers and use appropriate 
methods of communication to disseminate information in the directory to connect 
families and caregivers to early intervention services, primary care and appropriate early 
periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment services to children at risk; and
6.  Data collection.  Collect data necessary to align the program with evaluation 
requirements from the national center described in section 264, subsection 1 as well as 
identifying gaps in services by type and region and barriers to obtaining appropriate 
services.
§266.  Annual reports
The department shall submit any annual and evaluation reports provided by the 
department to the national center described in section 264, subsection 1 to the joint 
standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human 
services and education matters, no later than December 15th of each year, beginning in 
2020.  The joint standing committees are authorized to report out legislation in any 
legislative session.
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for one Social Services Program Specialist II position to be 
the Help Me Grow program coordinator in the Department of Health and Human Services 
Central Operations responsible for design, implementation and supervision of the intake, 
resource and referral systems and the provision of support services to families, providers 
and children.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000
1.000
Personal Services
$0
$25,745
All Other
$0
$6,547
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$32,292
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND
2019-20
2020-21
Personal Services
$0
$77,234
All Other
$0
$19,640
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL
$0
$96,874
Initiative:  Provides funding for 3 Social Services Program Specialist I positions to be the 
Help Me Grow program resource specialists in the Department of Health and Human 
Services Central Operations who will be the primary point of contact for families looking 
for early childhood resources.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for one Office Assistant II position to provide administrative 
support for the Help Me Grow program.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to 
contract with an evaluator to conduct an annual fidelity assessment to measure and track 
the State's progress with implementing the Help Me Grow program and contract with the 
national Help Me Grow program to provide technical assistance.
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000
3.000
Personal Services
$0
$64,943
All Other
$0
$5,390
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$70,333
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND
2019-20
2020-21
Personal Services
$0
$194,830
All Other
$0
$16,169
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL
$0
$210,999
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000
1.000
Personal Services
$0
$15,929
All Other
$0
$1,797
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$17,726
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND
2019-20
2020-21
Personal Services
$0
$47,786
All Other
$0
$5,390
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL
$0
$53,176
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for annual training of state personnel and stakeholders.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for annual training of Office of Child and Family Services 
staff.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for annual fees for Ages and Stages Questionnaires Online 
and the Help Me Grow National Center.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides one-time funding for the information technology costs associated 
with the system for tracking access to referrals and for the initial interfaces for the Help 
Me Grow program.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$50,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$50,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$16,500
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$16,500
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$12,540
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$12,540
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$23,500
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$23,500
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$25,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$25,000
Initiative:  Provides ongoing funding for the information technology costs associated with 
the Help Me Grow program.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for website, social media and print communication 
campaigns within the Help Me Grow program.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to 
contract with 211 Maine to ensure individuals are connected with existing child 
resources, decide how 211 Maine can connect to the system for tracking access to 
referrals and research how other states have used the 211 systems in connection with the 
Help Me Grow program.
Department of Health and Human Services Central Operations 0142
Initiative:  Provides one-time funding for the Department of Health and Human Services 
to contract with the Help Me Grow National Center for technical assistance to accelerate 
the ability of the State to fully implement the Help Me Grow program.
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$33,230
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$33,230
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$50,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$50,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$10,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$10,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$150,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$150,000
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Help Me Grow program in the Department of Health and 
Human Services.  The program is a comprehensive, statewide, coordinated system of 
early identification, referral and follow-up for children from prenatal care up to 8 years of 
age and their families.  The program ensures access to early periodic screening, diagnosis 
and treatment services and related services to promote healthy development and develop 
a coordinated system of screening, referral and services.  The bill establishes 5 positions 
within the Department of Health and Human Services and provides funding for software 
and program evaluation.  The department must submit annual reports to the joint standing 
committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services and 
education matters.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$0
$491,121
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND
$0
$361,049
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$0
$852,170
Approved: 03/16/20
LD 2159
LR 3283(01)
FY 2019-20
FY 2020-21
Projections 
FY 2021-22
Projections 
FY 2022-23
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund
$0
$491,121
$319,958
$323,934
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund
$0
$491,121
$319,958
$323,934
Federal Expenditures Fund
$0
$361,049
$372,564
$384,492
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill includes General Fund appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $491,121 in fiscal 
year 2020-21 to establish 5 positions and provide funding for multiple contracts to implement the Help Me Grow 
program.  
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
An Act To Establish the Help Me Grow Program
Fiscal Note for Original Bill
Committee: Health and Human Services
LR3283(01) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1