The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) has been awarded a grant to expand the Long Beach Resource Line to answer questions related to milestones and developments for children younger than five. The initiative is part of Help Me Grow LA, an effort of First 5 LA and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, to help connect people to support for children who may need early childhood development resources. Additionally, the online City of Long Beach Resource Directory, powered by Unite Us, will include critical resources through the digital map that will help residents connect to early childhood developmental and intervention resources.
“Long Beach is committed to improving the lives of young children and families through this expansion of services,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We are looking forward to launch this collaborative effort for our city’s families.”
Residents can now receive information and resources about their child’s development and connect to community services regarding their developmental concerns by submitting a Unite Us-powered assistance request form online or by calling the line at 562.570.4246, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Resource Line navigators can assess eligibility when needed and provide program referrals to organizations across Long Beach and within all City departments.
“When it comes to helping families, we can work together to do better,” said Director of Health and Human Services Kelly Colopy. “All Long Beach families should have access to early identification and intervention services. We are committed to work in partnership with community partners and organizations to ensure every child is connected to critical services and resources to benefit their lifelong development.”
Help Me Grow LA is a collaboration between Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and First 5 LA. In 2022, the City of Long Beach was awarded as one of seven community collaboratives to receive $500,000 over the course of three years as part of First 5 LA’s investment to strengthen and expand referral pathways to better connect families with services and supports to address their child’s developmental concerns. The investment is part of Help Me Grow LA’s effort to improve connections between providers so that every child receives support for developmental concerns.
More information about the Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health.
About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.
For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.