Eligibility:

• Permanent residents of Ohio

• Age 0-21 for the Diagnostic Program, 0-23 for the Treatment Program

• Under the care of CMH-approved doctor (M.D or D.O.) and who have or may have a chronic medical condition

Financial eligibility is required for the Treatment Program only.

To find CMH medical providers by location and specialty, browse our new interactive Children with Medical Handicaps Provider Directory.

The Children with Medical Handicaps Program (CMH) is a health care program in the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). CMH links families of children with special health care needs to a network of quality providers and helps families obtain payment for the services their children need.

Services Provided:

• Funding services for the diagnosis and treatment of medically eligible conditions.
• Collaborating with public health nurses and local health departments to assist in increasing access to care.
• Supporting service coordination for children with selected diagnoses.
• Assisting families to access and utilize appropriate sources of payment for services for their child.

Although CMH covers a wide range of services, it is important to know CMH does not cover all the services a child with special health care needs may require, nor are all services available for every diagnosis. Services must be related to the child’s CMH-eligible condition.

Making a referral to Help Me Grow is the first and easy step for parents who have questions or concerns about their infant or child. One referral to Help Me Grow opens the door to many programs that support families including:

• Early Intervention

• Home Visiting

• Moms and Babies First

If you are not the child’s parent, you may still make a referral. Help Me Grow will first contact the child’s parent before proceeding. A referral form can be completed here. 

Help Me Grow is Ohio’s evidenced-based parent support program that encourages early prenatal and well-baby care, as well as parenting education to promote the comprehensive health and development of children. Help Me Grow System includes:

• Central Intake
• Help Me Grow Home Visiting
• Help me Grow Early Intervention

Help Me Grow Home Visiting is a voluntary family support program for pregnant women or new parents. 

When a parent schedules a home visit with Help Me Grow Home Visiting, they will have the opportunity to share to share their thoughts about parenting, ask questions, and receive reliable information based on their individual family needs or topics of interest. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Healthy Pregnancies
• Baby and Child Health
• Breastfeeding
• Nutrition
• Immunizations
• Child Growth and Development
• Discipline
• Toilet Training
• Child Safety
• Household Safety
• Local Resources

The Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program (OHAAP) provides assistance to families with children, birth to twenty-one years of age, with hearing impairments, to purchase hearing aids, assistive listening devices, earmolds, external cochlear implant processor replacements, and/or hearing aid batteries.

Families with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for the program.  Children enrolled or who can qualify for Medicaid or the Children with Medical Handicaps Program (BCMH) are not eligible for OHAAP (unless documentation can be provided that Medicaid of CMH will not pay).  

A family’s eligibility can be determined using the federal poverty guideline table. Depending on income limits, families may be responsible to pay a sliding scale fee up to $20.00. The fee is for the audiological services to assess the child for the hearing aid/assistive listening devices and external cochlear processor replacement, as well as needed follow up to evaluate aid. Families who qualify and are interested in the program must complete the Family Application Form and provide verification of income.

The Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program (OHAAP) provides assistance to families with children, birth to twenty-one years of age, with hearing impairments to purchase:

• hearing aids
• earmolds
• assistive listening devices
• external cochlear implant processor replacements
• hearing aid batteries

This website is the premier way for Ohio’s parents, grandparents, caretakers, teachers, and child care providers to access all things related to early childhood in Ohio’s state agencies.