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  • Materials & Tools
    ​Bright Futures Guidelines provides a common framework for well-child care from birth to age 21.​
  • Clinical Practice
    With Bright Futures, health care professionals can accomplish 4 tasks in 18 minutes!
  • States & Communities
    Put Bright Futures into practice to promote health at the state and community levels.
  • Families
    Families use Bright Futures as a framework to partner with professionals about children’s health.
Bright Futures


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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 well-child 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.​​​

About Bright Futures

  • For Professionals

    • Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule

      Updated March 2021 Recommendations for preventive pediatric health care in practice.Download PDF

    • Pediatric Residency Resource Library

      This resource library features a diverse set of resources to help to strengthen clinical practice, stay current with the latest practice trends, build clinical and leadership skills, and connect with other areas around the AAP. Learn more

    • Bright Futures Implementation Tip Sheets

      These NEW and UPDATED tip sheets offer practical advice to help you integrate the Bright Futures approach, tools and resources into your daily practice.Learn more

    • Bright Futures Tool and Resource Kit, 2nd Edition

      Completely updated Toolkit corresponding with the Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition, with key documents that work as an integrated system to assist a health care professional carry out an efficient Bright Futures health supervision visit.Learn more

    • Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition

      At your fingertips, this manual provides the most respected recommendations for the top 12 areas of child development in 1 volume, along with the most up-to-date well-child supervision standards by visit. PDF versions are now available for reference.Learn more

    • Medical Screening Reference Tables

      The tables provide an easy-to-use reference table for each Bright Futures well-child visit. Each table compiles the relevant history, risk assessment questions, and action to take if the risk assessment shows a positive result.Learn more

    • Bright Futures Webinars

      Learn about the revised and updated Bright Futures Guidelines, 4th Edition from the editors themselves as well as other relevant topics. Learn more

    • Implementing Bright Futures in Public Health

      Professionals can hear recorded audio stories of Bright Futures implementations and read highlights of how Bright Futures is being used by state agencies as the standard for well-child care and as essential content throughout many public health programs. Learn more
  • For Families

    • Well-Child Visits: Parent and Patient Education

      The parent-focused education is available for each well-child visit. The child-focused education is available from the 7 Year through the 21 Year visit. All of the information is written to be easy to read and understand, in both English and Spanish.Learn more

    • The Well-Child Visit: Why Go and What to Expect

      This NEW handout, The Well-Child Visit: Why Go and What to Expect, helps families prepare for their regular check-ups. This tip sheet is available in English and Spanish.Learn more

    • Bright Futures Activity Book, 2nd Edition

      To encourage parent-child interaction, the Bright Futures Activity Book provides a fun, informative, and interactive overview of the 12 themes from the Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 4th Edition.Learn more

 Highlights and Announcements

  • September 13, 2021

    Public Comment Opportunity: Bright Futures/AAP Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care (Periodicity Schedule) -​ Deadline: October 13, 2021​​

    ​​A Federal Register Notice has been posted fo​​r a public comment opportunity, open for 30 days, on 4 proposed updates to the Bright Futures/AAP Periodicity Schedule​. Comment as an individual or on behalf of an organizati​on. This review is web-based and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will take comments into consideration.​​​​

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  • August 20, 2021

    ​​​Conversation about Care: ​Episode 10 - Impact of Screen Time on Sleep, Sedentary Behavior, and Routines *NEW*

    In this episode Dr. Hassink sits down with Dr. Amy Christison, pediatrician and Director of the Healthy Kids U Weight Management Clinic at the University of Illinois Medical School, to discuss the impact screen time is having on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    https://ihcw.aap.org/Pages/Podcast.aspx​​​​

  • August 18, 2021

    Addressing Social Health and Early Childhood Wellness (ASHEW) RoundTable: Staff Wellness and Self-Care​​

    The Screening Technical Assistance and Resource (STAR) Center empowers all levels of pediatric professionals to lead, connect and support each other. ASHEW RoundTable will serve as an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning and innovation by promoting open discussion and collaboration. Attendees are encouraged to engage with the ASHEW Technical Assistance and Quality Improvement Project Advisory Committees and Family Advisors about innovative approaches, best practices and lessons learned when integrating early childhood screening, counseling, referral, and follow-up for developmental milestones, perinatal depression, and social determinants of health. To access the meeting or to submit questions or topics for discussion during a RoundTable session here. ​​The meeting will be held​​​​​​​​​​​​​ today, August 20th at 1pm CST.

  • August 16, 2021

    AAP Anxiety and Depression ECHO

    In partnership with the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health (NTTAC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will host a Project ECHO learning collaborative on anxiety and depression.  The  goal of this ECHO is to build the capacity of primary care providers to provide quality behavioral and mental health care within the medical home setting, with a focus on anxiety and depression. Participants will be eligible to receive CME and MOC Part 2 credits. For more information, click here. This ECHO will launch in August 2021 and meet twice per month through February 2022. ECHO Sessions will be held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 12:00pm – 1:00pm CT, beginning on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. ​​

    Register here. Registration deadline August 20, 2021

  • August 13, 2021

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    The Next AAP Town Hall: COVID-19 Hot Topics

    The AAP hosts a bi-weekly series of virtual town halls linking members with leading experts to discuss emerging issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next session will be held on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 7:00 pm CT and will address the COVID-19 variant, vaccinations, back-to-school, and other pressing topics. Join us for this informative session where you will hear from leading experts and connect with your peers.

    Register here. Previous town halls are available for viewing here.​​​

  • August 12, 2021

    Pediatric Mental Health Minute Series: Parenting and Boundary Setting

    In this 15-minute video titled Parenting and Boundary Setting, Cynthia Holland-Hall MD, MPH, FAAP will discuss how pediatricians can coach parents of older children and adolescents to set clear boundaries while still fostering autonomy and normal development, click the link to Watch Now.
    The Pediatric Mental Health Minute Series provides real-time education to support pediatricians caring for children and youth with mental health disorders.​​


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