Resources for Early Head Start and Head Start Programs

Key points

  • Learn the Signs. Act Early. has resources to help educators and families learn about early child development.
  • These resources help staff engage families in monitoring developmental milestones for children ages 2 months to 5 years.
Early intervention teacher engaging with children.

Using CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. can help you:

2 year old sits on a classroom floor clapping hands together.
Learn the Signs. Act Early.
  • Provide guidance and resources to families when discussing developmental concerns.
  • Work with families to become better observers of their child's development and encourage them to take action on a developmental concern.
  • Meet Head Start Program Performance Standards.
    • Complement and support developmental screening.
  • Meet Head Start training requirements.

1 in 6 children has a developmental delay or disability. You can help identify children with signs of developmental delay, strengthen family engagement in developmental monitoring, and better support all children by:

  • Using CDC's milestone checklists or Milestone Moments booklet to:
    • Enhance developmental screening by routinely tracking each child's development.
    • Empower families to observe and track their child's development.
    • Increase your knowledge of signs of potential delay and what to do when there is a concern.
  • Helping families to act on developmental concerns:
  • Learning more about monitoring each child's development and sharing updates with families with CDC's FREE 1-hour online training, Watch Me! (cdc.gov/WatchMeTraining)

Find the FREE resources mentioned here and others at www.cy118119.com/ActEarly/Materials.

Additional Resources

Learn the Signs. Act Early. is featured in these additional family engagement resources:

Milestones Matter with CDC and Vroom!

Milestone Matter table
This poster from CDC and Vroom shares the importance of tracking your child's development and using brain building tips to add learning to everyday moments. Click here to download and print in English and Spanish!

Learn More about CDC's Developmental Milestones

To learn more about CDC's developmental milestones, visit the Key Points about CDC's Developmental Milestones page.

Print or view a handout (PDF) of this information

Click to print or view the Early Head Start and Head Start Programs Quick Guide in English and Spanish.

Head start primer
Early Head Start and Head Start Programs Quick Guide
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Content Source:
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD)