Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!

Recognizing the importance of early identification and screening, the Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Community Living, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, Health Resources and Services Administration, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services as well as the Office of Special Education Programs at the Department of Education partnered to launch Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive!, a coordinated interagency effort to encourage developmental and behavioral screening and support for children, families, and the providers who care for them.

Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! was launched to the public on March 27, 2014 with release of a compendium of research-based screening tools, “User’s Guides” for multiple audiences, an electronic package of resources for follow-up and support, and a Screening Passport for Families for keeping track of screenings, results, and follow up steps, as well as coordinate information with multiple providers to support interventions and services.

During a webinar on May 27, 2014, representatives from the AUCD Early Childhood/Early Intervention Special Interest Group provided a general overview of current early childhood developmental and behavioral screening efforts, then federal agency representative provided a brief overview on Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! The webinar is now archived.