How Affiliates Fund Help Me Grow: Funding the Infrastructure for Early Childhood Success

At a time when federal budgets and early childhood policy priorities are in flux, states and communities are grappling with how to sustain the systems that families rely on most. Now more than ever, it is critical to understand how early childhood system-building models like Help Me Grow (HMG) are financed—and how we can ensure their stability for the future.

Read this funding brief from the HMG National Center, How Affiliates Fund Help Me Grow: Funding the Infrastructure for Early Childhood Success for a snapshot of how affiliates across the National Network braid, align, and sustain funding streams to power the HMG Model.

Drawing on 2024 data from more than 140 local systems in 30 states, the brief highlights:

• The top federal, state, and local funding sources powering HMG implementation

• Differences between single-system and multi-system states

• State-specific innovations that support early childhood infrastructure

• Opportunities for policymakers to stabilize and expand this work

The findings underscore a central truth: HMG is not a standalone program—it’s the infrastructure that makes existing investments in health, early learning, and family support work better. But reliance on short-term or competitive grants creates instability. Sustained impact will require dedicated state and federal investment to ensure every family has access to a coordinated system of care.

This resource is especially timely in the context of budget uncertainty and ongoing federal policy changes. It equips affiliates, policymakers, and advocates with evidence and strategies to position HMG as a smart, durable investment—one that maximizes every dollar already flowing into early childhood systems.

📖 Read the full brief here

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