Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! An Early Care and Education Provider’s Guide for Developmental and Behavioral Screening
To ensure optimal development for all children, a variety of individuals and agencies across a comprehensive early childhood system must support developmental and behavioral promotion, early detection, and linkage to services. This resource provides essential guidance for early care and education (ECE) providers and supports their connection to efforts within the broader comprehensive, cross-sector early childhood system. The guide is updated from a resource originally developed by the Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! collaborative, a coordinated effort from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education to encourage developmental and behavioral screening and support for children, families, and the providers who care for them.
Early childhood educators play a vital role in bolstering the healthy development of young children in the families they serve. ECE providers are dedicated to engaging and supporting the development and well-being of infants, toddlers, and young children within home- and center-based settings, and they are key partners with the families of the children they serve.
Because ECE providers spend many waking hours with children, they may be the first to observe potential delays. If developmental concerns are caught early, ECE providers can help ensure that children receive the extra support they need while in care and are linked to the appropriate services.
Early childhood educators play a vital role in bolstering the healthy development of young children.
