Bright Futures is a national health promotion and prevention initiative, led by the American Academy of Pediatrics and supported, in part, by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
The Bright Futures Guidelines provide theory-based and evidence-driven guidance for all preventive care screenings and health supervision visits. Bright Futures content can be incorporated into many public health programs such as home visiting, child care, school-based health clinics and many others. Materials developed especially for families are also available.
Quality Improvement
Find information, tools and links to networks and resources for practitioners wishing to participate in quality improvement (QI) efforts. The information found here can be used at the practice level to address desired health outcomes of importance to the children and families in a particular practice, health care system, community or state.


Implementation Stories
Speakers with state health departments, AAP Chapters, clinicians and others who work in the field of maternal and child health share their lessons learned about the use of the Bright Futures Guidelines, tools and related resources in brief audio records.
Bright Futures eNews
See the latest in Bright Futures including new resources and opportunities by checking out our Bright Futures eNews page.
Contact Bright Futures
Find out how you can get in touch with us for more information about the Bright Futures National Center.
Highlights and Announcements
Bright Futures Let’s Talk Healthy Mental & Emotional Development Webinar Series Register for the 3rd Session - Thursday, March 23, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT
Join us for the 3rd session of the 3-part Bright Futures Let’s Talk Healthy Mental & Emotional Development Webinar Series for a discussion on a range of potential models of collaboration between pediatric health care professional & mental health specialists and building relationships. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive Q & A discussion session.
Watch Session 1 & Session 2 of the Bright Futures Let’s Talk Healthy Mental & Emotional Development Webinar Series Webinar Series here.
March 13, 2023
Now Available: EQIPP: Bright Futures – Infancy to Adolescence Course
The AAP Bright Futures National Center is excited to announce the launch of the new EQIPP: Bright Futures – Infancy to Adolescence course. This self-directed, online learning course is designed to help guide pediatric health care professionals in implementing the Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents, 4th Edition into everyday practice. The course is free for all. Learners can log in to their eqipp.aap.org account to obtain access to the course.
Course Link: shop.aap.org/eqipp-bright-futures-infancy-to-adolescence
January 4, 2023
New Opportunity - Obesity Evaluation QI Project
The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight (IHCW) is recruiting for the pilot round of the Assessment and Evaluation of Pediatric Obesity project. This is the first of two quality improvement (QI) projects for primary care practices, based on the 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity. This brief (25-week), all-virtual QI collaborative for practice/clinic teams will kick off in early March 2023 and is focused on improving the identification and evaluation of obesity and its comorbidities at well visits and initiating an obesity care plan with patients/families. The IHCW is recruiting primary care practice teams that represent diverse types of practices/clinics (eg, group or solo practices, Community Health Centers/Federally Qualified Health Centers, medical school-affiliated, government, non-government, or non-profit clinics, etc.), patient populations and geographic locations, that are interested in making practice changes to improve the identification and evaluation of obesity and its comorbidities at well visits and initiating an obesity care plan with patients/families. Teams will be selected based on a brief, online application. For more information, refer to the project information packet
Deadline: Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Application: https://www.research.net/r/CPG-Evaluation
Contact: Stephanie Womack at swomack@aap.org or 630.626.6612
January 3, 2023
New Post Alert! #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog Spotlights the Ohio Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Approach to Supporting AYA Mental Health
This latest blog post highlights the Ohio MCH program’s approach to increasing developmental approaches and improving systems to reduce the adolescent and young adult suicide rate. Ohio is one of five state teams participating in the Adolescent & Young Adult (AYA) Behavioral Health CoIIN project, which seeks to increase the rate of depression screenings among AYAs with an appropriate follow up care plan, if necessary. Read about the Ohio MCH approach here.
December 8, 2022
Now Recruiting – AAP Pediatric Respiratory Surge ECHO
The AAP is recruiting pediatric health care professionals to be a part of the AAP Pediatric Respiratory Surge ECHO. This ECHO serves as a forum for pediatric health care professionals to increase knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy in responding to the current respiratory surge and implementing recommended infection prevention and control practices, while providing a space to hear real-time questions and innovative solutions from colleagues across the US.
Sessions will occur weekly on Tuesdays at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CT starting December 13, 2023, and will run indefinitely, as needed.
Register online. Please direct any questions to ECHO Manager Alexis Katzenbach.
December 6, 2022
New Opportunity - AAP Food Insecurity ECHO!
The AAP is recruiting primary care practices to join a 6-month learning collaborative aimed to educate and support primary care professionals on developing and sustaining approaches in pediatric practice to support children and families facing food insecurity. This project offers 2 tracks: Track 1: 6 monthly educational ECHO sessions (encouraged to attend 2 QI ECHO sessions). Track 2: 6 monthly educational ECHO sessions plus 2 QI ECHO sessions (Track 2 participants are eligible to receive $1,000 for their active participation.)
This ECHO project will run on Thursdays at 11:00 am – 12:00 pm CT from January 2023 – June 2023.
Register here. Please contact Alexis Katzenbach, ECHO Manager, at akatzenbach@aap.org for additional information.
November 28, 2022
Now Recruiting - AAP Rural Pediatrics: Obesity ECHO!
The AAP is recruiting Primary Care Clinicians and other health professionals in rural, frontier, and underserved areas who serve pediatric populations in those areas to join a 4-month learning collaborative. This ECHO will serve as a forum to increase the knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy of professionals to effectively identify, and provide best-practice care to address the complex needs of pediatric patients suffering from obesity in their communities. Participants will have an opportunity to earn CME/MOC2 credits.
The ECHO will launch on January 5, 2022 and will meet twice a month through April 2023.
Sessions will be held on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month for a total of 8 sessions.
To learn more, view the flyer here.
Questions? Contact Oyin Oloniniyi, Program Manager, ECHO Initiatives at ooloniniyi@aap.org
November 23, 2022
Family Friendly Referral Guide - Now Available in English and Spanish!
The AAP offers a free Family Friendly Referral Guide (in English and Spanish) focused on supporting families and caregivers whose child has a developmental concern. Pediatric practices can customize this guide with information about local referral resources, and then use the guide to support families/caregivers in understanding what to do if a developmental concern has been identified. The guide also illustrates the importance of following through with developmental referrals.
November 21, 2022
AAP Infection Prevention and Control Quality Improvement ECHO - Starts February 2023
The AAP is recruiting primary care practice teams to join a 3-month learning collaborative aimed at improving knowledge, skills and self-efficacy around infection prevention and control strategies. Primary care clinicians and their teams will participate in 2 sessions per month: 1 learning session and 1 quality improvement (QI) session, applying QI methodology from February – April 2023 for a total of 6 sessions. Active practice teams will receive a $1,000 stipend at the conclusion of the program. Participants are also eligible to claim CME/MOC 2 and MOC Part 4 credits. To view our recruitment video, click here.
Apply online!
November 10, 2022
New AAP Video Series: “Asking for a Friend” Mental Health Series
The AAP has released the first video, about self-harm, in its "Asking for a Friend" mental health series aimed at teens. There will be 12 videos in the series, and others will address depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other topics. The AAP will be releasing the videos each week as part of a mental health project with YouTube.
October 31, 2022
New AAP Information on Preventing Influenza
Find strategies and resources on how to prevent and control the spread of influenza in early education and child care settings. This page includes a link to a free webinar covering influenza recommendations for the 2022-2023 season, the importance of vaccination, and strategies for prevention and control.
October 31, 2022
Pediatrician Discusses RSV
RSV is spreading rapidly and much earlier than normal this year. That combined with flu season and the continued spread of COVID makes for a scary time for many parents of young children. Pediatrician and parent of young kids Dr. Parga-Belinkie is here to offer you reassurance and guidance, including tips on when it's time to #CallYourPediatrician.
October 26, 2022
New Post Alert! #ScreenToInterveneForAYAs Blog
Mental Health Equity for BIPOC Communities: Helpful Primers from Mental Health America
This latest blog post highlights key takeaways from a recent learning session for participants of the Adolescent & Young Adult Behavioral Health Collaboration project. Allissa Torres, Director of Mental Health Equity at Mental Health America, spoke with the group about practical ways to center equity for BIPOC communities within efforts to support improvement of mental health systems. The archived learning session and helpful resources can be accessed within the blog post. To receive an e-mail notification when a new blog post is available for viewing, please sign up here.
October 26, 2022
Now Recruiting- AAP Rural Pediatrics: Anxiety and Depression ECHO!
The AAP is recruiting primary care clinicians and other health professionals in rural, frontier, and underserved areas who serve pediatric populations in those areas to join an 8-month EHCO on Rural Pediatrics: Anxiety and Depression. This ECHO will serve as a forum to increase the knowledge, skills, and self efficacy of providers to effectively identify, and provide best-practice care to address the complex needs of pediatric patients with anxiety and depression in rural and frontier communities. Participants will have an opportunity to earn MOC4 and CME credits
The ECHO will launch on November 18, 2022 at 12pm CT, 1pm ET and 10am PT and will meet once per month through June 2023. Sessions will be held on the 3rd Friday of each month. To learn more, view the flyer.
Contact Oyin Oloniniyi, Program Manager, ECHO Initiatives at ooloniniyi@aap.org
October 20, 2022
New PediaLink Video-Based Courses: Awareness of Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) Among Healthcare Clinicians
This free video-based educational curriculum of 4 independent courses aims to improve the continuity of care between primary care and specialty cardiac care physicians; as well as promote lifelong cardiac care for people with CHDs. Each course is geared towards a different audience, including pediatricians, obstetrician-gynecologists, internal medicine, emergency medicine and family medicine physicians, and contains an accompanying Point-of-Care tool, which is intended to be used as a quick reference guide for each clinician audience. Learners are eligible to receive CME credit for each course.
This free educational curriculum was developed as part of the American Academy of Pediatrics CHD Awareness project supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additional resources for improving lifelong cardiac care for people with CHDs are available on the CHD Awareness Toolkit.
October 12, 2022
New Web Page Available on Children with Medical Complexity
A new web page on AAP.org focuses on children with medical complexity. The page includes information on care improvement initiatives and practical clinical resources you can implement in your practice, along with resources for families.
September 23, 2022
New Resources: Bright Futures: Health Equity Resources for Health Care Professionals
This new compendium of health equity resources includes tips and tools to prepare pediatric health care professionals to address the impact of racism, bias, and discrimination on the health and well-being of their patients and families. Pediatric health care professionals can use these resources in their practice/professional setting, for use in training, and for their own professional learning. These resources are designed to be used together, as a series, or as individual resources, based on the needs of the pediatric health care professional.
For more detailed information, please refer to the Introduction: How to Use These Resources document.
September 23, 2022
Share Flu Resources with Families
The AAP has created communication tools to promote flu vaccination at your clinic. “Don’t Let the Flu Stop You” is the message to share with families to remind them that flu vaccination is the best way to keep kids going and enjoying activities that help them thrive. Visit the Flu Toolkit to download these free resources.
September 15, 2022
Educate, Ask, and Share: Collaborating with Early Childhood Professionals on Development
In this new video from the AAP, Dr Shelly Flais discusses developmental surveillance, screening, and collaboration between families, clinicians, and early childhood professionals. Working collaboratively with families and early childhood professionals is essential to promote the optimal development of children.
September 6, 2022
New PediaLink Couse - Addressing Equity for Black CYSHCN
The National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home (NRC-PFCMH) is offering a FREE PediaLink course, Addressing Equity for Black CYSHCN. This course examines factors impacting equitable health care for Black children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN).
This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
August 12, 2022
Recorded Coffee Talk on Developmental Surveillance
Watch a recorded coffee talk hosted by Lisa Shulman, MD, FAAP, and Sara Del Campo de Gonzalez, MD, FAAP. This video focuses on how to use and implement Learn the Signs. Act Early. communication tools within your practice. Practice implementation is demonstrated using case studies and questions and answers from audience members.
July 14, 2022
Free PediaLink Course on Opioid Use Disorder
The AAP PediaLink course, Recovery-Friendly Care for Families Affected by Opioid Use Disorder, educates pediatric health care professionals about best practices in caring for, and supporting families affected by opioid use disorder after discharge from the birthing hospital, and through the infants’ third birthday. Course units are eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit and Maintenance of Certification Part 2 points.
July 14, 2022
2022 Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule is Now Available
The 2022 Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care, also known as the Periodicity Schedule, will be published in the July 2022 issue of Pediatrics (released online on June 21st). The Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule is updated annually. Be sure to check the date in the top right corner to ensure that you are referencing the most updated version.
June 21, 2022
2022 Coding for Pediatric Preventive Care Booklet is Available
In addition to the 2022 Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule, the 2022 Coding for Pediatric Preventive Care booklet has been revised and is available online and in print. This complementary resource contains comprehensive listings of codes and services that coincide with the 2022 Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule.
If you have questions about the 2022 Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule or 2022 Coding booklet or would like to receive a few hard copies to share with your clinics, colleagues, students, or families, contact us.
June 21, 2022
New Webinar Series: Systems of Care & Healthy Mental Development: Effective Strategies to Support CYSHCN in the Medical Home
The National Resource Center for Patient/Family-Centered Medical Home (NRC-PFCMH) hosted a FREE 2-part webinar series examining the behavioral and mental health systems of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the role of medical home within that system.
- Episode 1 featured the Nebraska Partnership for Mental Healthcare Access in Pediatrics and the University of Michigan Child Collaborative Consultation Program. Participants learned how these 2 programs have addressed access to behavioral and mental health care for CYSHCN, in addition to the key partners and collaborators that support their respective programmatic efforts.
- Episode 2 featured pediatricians Marian Earls, MD, MTS, FAAP and Richard Antonelli, MD, MS, FAAP. Drs Earls and Antonelli discussed how pediatricians and the medical home can support behavioral and mental health care for CYSHCN.
Webinar
|May 9, 2022
New Pediatrics On Call Podcast: Integrating Mental Health into the Medical Home - Episode 111
In this Pediatrics On Call episode, Rachel Moon, MD, FAAP, associate editor of digital media for the journal Pediatrics, shares a research roundup from the May issue. Hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP, also talk with Richard Chung, MD, FAAP, member of the AAP Committee on Adolescence as well as the Bright Futures Steering Committee, about ways to assess mental health of children and teens within the medical home. Listen here for all of the podcast episodes.
Pediatrics on Call Podcast
|May 6, 2022
New PediaLink Course: Bright Futures - Building Positive Parenting Skills Across Ages
The Bright Futures National Center is excited to announce the launch of a new PediaLink course titled, Bright Futures - Building Positive Parenting Skills Across Ages. The purpose of this course is to provide residents, nursing trainees and other pediatric health care professionals the knowledge and skills to provide parental support and advice. Pediatric health care professionals play a vital role in reinforcing parenting skills by providing developmentally appropriate parenting advice and support as well as modeling parenting skills during the health supervision visit. This course includes scenarios to apply key concepts to address common behavioral concerns and ameliorate parental stress. The course is free to the general public, including non-AAP members. Learners who will only be required to create an AAP login (if they don't already) to obtain access to the course.
PediaLink Course
|April 26, 2022
New Resource: Blueprint for Youth Suicide Prevention
AAP Resource
|April 26, 2022