Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!
April 4, 2014
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The U.S. Departments of Education and of Health and Human Services (HHS) have launched Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! to encourage developmental and behavioral screening for children to support the families and providers who care for them.
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! will help families look for and celebrate milestones; promote universal screenings; identify delays as early as possible; and improve the support available to help children succeed in school and thrive alongside their peers.
This initiative encourages early childhood experts-including practitioners in early care and education, primary health care, early intervention, child welfare and mental health-to work together with children and their families. Early screenings check developmental progress and can uncover potential developmental delays. If a child's screening result shows risk, families and providers will be in a better position to pursue more in-depth evaluation, which is the first step toward getting help for a child who might need it.
Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! will help families and providers:
- Celebrate milestones. Every family looks forward to seeing a child's first smile, first step, and first words. Regular screenings help raise awareness of a child's development, making it easier to expect and celebrate developmental milestones.
- Promote universal screening. Just like hearing and vision screenings assure that children can hear and see clearly, developmental and behavioral screenings track a child's progress in areas such as language, social, or motor development.
- Identify possible delays and concerns early. With regular screenings, families, teachers, and other professionals can assure that young children get the services and supports they need, as early as possible to help them thrive alongside their peers.
- Enhance developmental supports. Combining the love and knowledge families have of their children with tools, guidance, and tips recommended by experts can make the most of the developmental support children receive.
