The first three years of a child's life are a time of rapid growth and development - babies and toddlers learn to smile, talk, play and walk (or run!). These years are both exhilarating and exhausting to a parent or caregiver, as they watching their little ones grow, and wonder if they are meeting key developmental milestones. Parents know the critical role that pediatricians play during this time - they are the ones they can count on to identify delays or alleviate concerns - and access to routine screenings can make all the difference.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children under the age of three be screened routinely to monitor their development and identify potential delays. Screening is the first step to connecting children with the supports they need for healthy development, and is especially critical to helping identify children with or at risk of developmental delays, so that they can be connected with early intervention services.

However, based on 2015 data, fewer than one in three infants and toddlers with Medi-Cal were receiving timely developmental screenings. Developmental screenings are an important preventive care service, which like check-ups and immunizations, children are entitled to through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, and is required by federal law.

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