Offers early education and care for children from 6-weeks to 5 years old. Families can enroll their children in early head start, head start, and preschool classrooms (both publicly funded Title XX child care and private pay provided). They also provide parenting classes and supportive services for caregivers. They have multiple locations (listed below).
(614) 444-1529
sproutfive.org
The website has information on a wide range of health topics, including safety, fitness, school issues, dating, substance abuse; emotional wellness, including helping children handle stress, psychiatric medications, grief. It also provides information about healthy living, family life, immunizations, developmental stages and more.
healthychildren.org
Baby sign language is a way for all parents to improve early infant communication and communicate with children before they can actually speak. This website is full of free resources, including free videos, flash cards and tutorials.
(855) 827-5275
babysignlanguage.com
Anyone with young children in their life can use this website to learn about Ohio’s early childhood programs, resources and agencies. There is helpful information about developmental milestones, screenings, emotional wellness tips, healthy pregnancy and more.
boldbeginning.ohio.gov
Child Care Search: childcaresearch.ohio.gov
A full-day private school program from early-intervention/preschool through high school for children with developmental disabilities. They provide speech, music and occupational therapy, psychological services, social skills groups, summer camps and parent support groups. Bridgeway Academy utilizes the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). They are a provider of Ohio’s Autism Scholarship Program, Jon Peterson Scholarship, Title XX (20), Medicaid, Level One, I. O. and Self Waiver and some insurances.
1350 Alum Creek Drive, Columbus, OH 43209
(614) 262-7520
bridgewayohio.org
Sends free games, tips, and resources right to your cell phone. Messages are targeted to your child’s age and include information on child development, language, early literacy, health, safety, behavioral tips and more.
Text: BRIGHT to 274448
*Message & data rates apply. Text STOP to 274448 to stop. Text HELP to 274448 for help.
brightbytext.org
Download the free development tracker to follow a child’s normal development from age 2 months old to 5 years. Get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.
cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html
Offers early childhood educational services for children under the age of 6 with and without developmental delays. They also provide home-based services and classes for young children with special needs. Most programs are free or for a small fee.
674 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 253-6933
childhoodleague.org
Provides free educational services to students ages who are deaf or hard of hearing. The program includes parent support groups, preschool (Alexander Graham Bell School) programs, academic and life skills programs, vocational and career training, transportation and extracurricular activities. Visit their website to find their contact information.
1545 Huy Road, Columbus, Ohio 43224
ccsoh.us
Program: Provides speech-language and occupational individual and group therapy, screenings, and evaluations. They also offers audiology and hearing aid services, career exploration and job training, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) classes for adults and youth ages 16 and older
Eligibility: varies by program, serves young children (under the age of 6 years old) up to seniors (65 years old and older)
Cost: varies by program; self pay and accept many insurances, including Caresource, Molina and Medicaid
Referral: individuals may refer themselves or be referred by a physician or organization
(614) 263-5151
columbusspeech.org
Program: Offers youth and their families mental, emotional and behavioral health programs and services. Licensed social workers and counselors provide counseling and clinical treatment programs addressing a range of issues including school concerns, sexual abuse, delinquency, domestic violence, family conflict, substance abuse and mental health issues. They also offer parenting classes, free kindergarten readiness programs and after-school and summer programs at their two youth centers.
Eligibility: ages (from 6 weeks old up to 21 years old) vary per program
Cost: government insurance (Medicaid, Molina, Caresource), private insurance and self-pay (sliding scale fees based on income); most programs are free
Referral: individuals may refer themselves or be referred by someone else for the counseling programs; for psychiatric services they need to be referred through a Directions for Youth counselor
Central Intake: (614) 294-2661
dfyf.org
Provides services to help children and adults living with disabilities, including early childhood education, adult day, and in-home services. They have three Discovery Garden programs around the state and sponsor seven (7) counties for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. They also offer afterschool programs, summer day camps, and more!
3830 Trueman Court, Hilliard, Ohio 43026
(614) 228-5523
easterseals.com/centralohio
Offers early childhood educational support for children with special needs living in the Licking County school districts. They also perform evaluations on children ages 3 to 6 in the county to determine special educational needs.
119 Union Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
(740) 349-1629
facebook.com/FlyingColorsPublicPreschool
Services are provided for children from birth to age 21 who have developmental delays and disabilities. Services include early childhood education and home-based services, developmental evaluations, early intervention services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy and more. A Major Unusual Incident (MUI) is defined as any alleged, suspected, or actual occurrence of an incident that adversely affects the health and welfare of an individual receiving services from the County Board. The FCBDD MUI Unit investigates all MUIs and ensures that immediate actions are taken to protect individuals from harm.
2879 Johnstown Road, Columbus, Ohio 43219
(614) 475-6440
24-hour Emergency Major Unusual Incidents (MUI) Reporting: (614) 464-2743
fcbdd.org
FCBDD Location Directory: fcbdd.org/about-us/directory
Provides free support, advice and information for moms to help them have a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby and be a great mom. Pregnant women or parents of newborns receive free developmental monitoring, screening and assessment, and referrals by home visiting professionals until the child’s third birthday.
The Center for Family Safety and Healing
655 East Livingston Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43205
Referral Line: (614) 722-8222
familysafetyandhealing.org/services/home-visitation/hfa
Program: Prenatal support, parenting education, developmental screenings and linkage to community resources through home visiting services
Eligibility: women who are expecting and mothers whose first child is under six months old and meet income guidelines
Cost: no cost to families
Referral: a parent, guardian, home visiting provider or professional
Their website also has information about child health, children with special needs, school readiness, safety, resources by county and parent rights.
246 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Referral Line: (614) 656-3322 or (800) 755-4769
helpmegrow.ohio.gov
Central Intake and Referral Form: odhgateway.odh.ohio.gov/ochids/public/refer
Provides evaluations for children with suspected developmental disabilities and autism, and comprehensive care focusing on evidence based treatment, education, research and advocacy for children with the diagnosis of autism, Asperger’s syndrome or other disorders on the autism spectrum. They also offer classes for parents and siblings of children with autism, Asperger’s and other autism spectrum disorders, covering a wide range of topics:
187 West Schrock Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081
(614) 355-7570
To sign up for a class: (614) 355-0662
nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/center-for-autism-spectrum-disorders
Find information on various health topics and about the disease, condition, medical procedure or test your child needs.
healthlibrary.nationwidechildrens.org
In Spanish: healthlibrary.nationwidechildrens.org/Spanish
Developmental occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physical therapy services are provided at the main hospital, as well as many locations throughout the community, for children from birth to age 21. Visit the website for a list of all their clinic locations.
700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 722-2200
Occupational Therapy: nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/occupational-therapy
Speech Pathology: nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/speech-pathology
Physical Therapy: nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/physical-therapy
Offers complete services for children, teens and adults with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, including an autism clinic, behavior support services, dental care for children with developmental disabilities, early intervention programs, psychiatric services, special education/transition services. Their website has an extensive list of resources for families as well.
1581 Dodd Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43210
Administration: (614) 685-3192 or (855) 983-9955 Toll-free
nisonger.osu.edu
Additional Contact Information: nisonger.osu.edu/contact-us
Provide free pregnancy support, developmental monitoring, screenings and assessments, and referrals for identified services for first-time pregnant prior to 28 weeks gestational age of the baby. Participants must meet income eligibility.
The Center for Family Safety and Healing
655 East Livingston Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43205
Referral Line: (614) 722-8222
familysafetyandhealing.org/services/home-visitation/nfp
Provides information and resources for parents of children with disabilities. Parents can call to get one-on-one assistance.
125 Executive Drive, Marion, Ohio 43302
(844) 382-5452
ocecd.org
Oversees a statewide system of supports and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families across the lifespan. Each county in Ohio has its own Board of Developmental Disabilities, which is responsible for providing early intervention services in that county. Visit the website for more contact information.
30 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Statewide: (800) 617-6733
Main Website: dodd.ohio.gov
List of County Boards: dodd.ohio.gov/county-boards
Provides services to parents of eligible children under the age of 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. Parents and caregivers with concerns regarding their child’s development can have their child evaluated at no cost to the family. Children are evaluated for delays in the areas of language, feeding, walking, handling of toys, seeing or hearing. A service coordinator and service provider will work with families in the home or other places to develop a coordinated plan called an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
30 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Referral Line: (800) 755-4769
ohioearlyintervention.org
Provides support and education to Ohio’s deaf and hard of hearing students from age 6 weeks up through high school. They offer year-round after school programs, summer programs, family events and more. Deaf and hard of hearing children with an IEP are eligible for the preschool program at no cost. Visit their website for additional contact information.
500 Morse Road, Columbus, Ohio 43214
(614) 728-4030
osd.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/osd
The online handouts have a lot of useful nutritional and developmental information for parents of newborns up to teens and the physicians that care for the child.
700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 722-4824 or (614) 644-7035
nationwidechildrens.org/ounce-of-prevention
Provides free information about early detection of developmental delays and the benefit of early therapy for children with delays. They also provide tools and resources to maximize all children’s motor, sensory, and communication development.
Toll-free Parent-Answered National Hotline: (800) 955-2445
pathways.org
An evidence-based text messaging program for parents/caregivers of children from birth to 3rd grade, provided at no cost. Each week, they text fun facts and easy tips to boost your child’s learning. The program is available in English, Spanish, and Arabic.
ready4k.parentpowered.com
Offers providers and parents resources to help children thrive and deal with some common issues that affect children’s lives. Explore topics related to health and wellness, social-emotional skills, and school readiness.
sesamestreetincommunities.org
To view their additional toolkit: sesamestreet.org/toolkits
Created by Mount Sinai Parenting Center, Sparks is a parent video series for parents of children from birth through 5 years of age. Sparks provides information to parents about safety, sleep, nutrition, parent-child bonding, development and growth. This information is available in Spanish as well. You can also sign up to receive these videos by text! Parents will receive automatic text updates with your next video link as your child grows.
Text SPARKS to (844) 650-1210
sparksvideoseries.com/watch-now
Provides behavioral health intervention and treatment services to youth with emotional and behavioral challenges.
Program: outpatient and inpatient services (home-based and school-based), telehealth, therapeutic preschools and after school programs, residential care, and support for foster families. They provide specialized services to Hispanic / Latino children.
Eligibility: youth ages 3-18 years old
Cost: therapies can be billed to Medicaid and a variety of insurances
Referral: individuals may refer themselves or be referred by a physician or organization
Grief Program: offers a 6-session virtual series of grief education and skill-building groups delivered by their Early Childhood Mental Health Consultants. Activities, books and supplies are provided free of charge by SVFS.
Eligibility: youth ages 3-5 years old and their caregivers who have experienced grief due to the death of an important person or pet
Cost: FREE to families
1490 East Main Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205
(614) 252-0731 or (614) 824-5437, ask for Intake
svfc.org
Early intervention is a range of services for infants and toddlers up to age three who are experiencing a delay in some area of their development.
Serves: Single Adults & Families, Youth & Teens
Their programs, services and initiatives are for men, women and children of all ages covering health and fitness, swimming, age-specific activities, child care, camps, juvenile justice, housing, programming for infants and children with special needs (ECRN+), loanable adaptive equipment, and more. In their YMCA Stable Families coordinated service program, families with children (from Pre-K to 12th grade) who live in Franklin County have access to a service coordinator who can help in increasing household income, obtaining/maintaining safe and stable housing, and increasing the academic achievement of school-aged children. Visit the website or contact a YMCA center for additional information.
YMCA Administrative Office: 1907 Leonard Ave, Columbus, OH 43219
(614) 389-4409
YMCA Stable Families: (614) 636-3208
ymcacolumbus.org
YMCA Stable Families: ymcacolumbus.org/stable-form
YMCA Locations & Contacts: ymcacolumbus.org/locations
Program: Provides behavioral health, early childhood, traditional and therapeutic foster care, pre- and post-adoption support and community respite services for youth and families around the central Ohio region
Eligibility: ages (4 and older) vary by service and intervention
Cost: contact organization
Referral: individuals may refer themselves or be referred by a physician or organization
2323 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43204
(614) 258-9927
yasohio.org
Offers helpful information about behavior, development, care and education of infants in their first 3 years of life. Learn what to expect as your child grows and how to deal with challenging behaviors.
(202) 638-1144
zerotothree.org