How Developmental Monitoring Helps WIC Staff

Overview

WIC staff are well-positioned to engage, educate, and empower families to track their child's important developmental milestones:

• WIC staff are an important resource for families in the community and may be the first to notice potential developmental delays.
• Families look to WIC staff as a trusted source of information about their child's growth and development.
• WIC staff may be concerned about a child's development and need tools and resources to more easily communicate that concern to the family.

Supporting WIC staff and parents

Developmental monitoring in WIC:

• Helps WIC staff bring up and respond to questions or concerns from families about their child's development.
• Provides a quick and easy way to monitor a child's early development using the Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone checklists.
• Helps families set goals related to their child's growth and development.
• Offers families information about their child's development.
• Provides WIC staff with resources and tools to refer a child when indicated.
• Helps WIC staff understand child development so that they may help educate parents on this important topic.
• Provides an additional, valued service to children and families that can help improve retention.

Work done in Missouri WIC has shown that the Milestone Checklist Program using Learn the Signs. Act Early. materials can improve developmental monitoring of young children and help identify children that would benefit from early intervention services and support.