The Bright Futures for Infants, Children, and Adolescents Initiative was launched in 1990 under the leadership of the Federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to improve the quality of health services for children through health promotion and disease prevention. Bright Futures uses a developmentally based approach to address children’s physical and psychosocial needs within the context of their families and communities. It includes a set of child health supervision guidelines with accompanying materials for parents and providers on child health and special topics, such as mental health, oral health, nutrition, and physical activity.

Between 2002 and early 2006, Maternal and Child Health Bureau contracted with Health Systems Research, Inc. to conduct the first national evaluation of Bright Futures, to develop a series of case studies exploring how Bright Futures has been used in public health child health promotion efforts.  HSR will also develop a resource guide for states and communities on how to use Bright Futures in their own efforts to improve the health of children and the quality of care they receive. Brief summaries of each HSR report are provided below and are available online at http://www.hsrnet.com/brightfutures/ or through the national Bright Futures Web site at http://brightfutures.aap.org:

• Assessing the Bright Futures for Infants, Children and Adolescents Initiative: Findings from a National Process Evaluation presents the findings of the national process evaluation conducted by HSR. The report describes the evolution of the initiative between 1990 and 2002 and assesses progress on the initiative’s objectives related to development and dissemination of Bright Futures philosophy and materials, training, partnerships, and evaluation. It includes a wide array of examples of how Bright Futures has been incorporated into clinical practice, education and training, public health programs, and policy development activities related to children’s health, as well as recommendations for the future of the initiative.

• Using Bright Futures in Public Health Efforts to Promote Child Health: Findings from Six Case Studies includes a synthesis of case study findings as well as the individual case study reports. The synthesis addresses cross-cutting findings including why Bright Futures is used, who uses Bright Futures, and how Bright Futures is used in public health activities including policy development and planning, education and training of health and related professionals, education and outreach to families and communities, and clinical practice. Challenges faced by case study states in maintaining and enhancing their Bright Futures efforts, as well as strategies for addressing them, are also discussed. (Note individual state case study reports are also available for downloading.)

• Promoting Utilization of Bright Futures Health Supervision Guidelines: A How-to Guide for States and Communities is a user-friendly resource guide intended to help those interested in using the Bright Futures philosophy and materials to increase health quality and well-being among children and families. This guide is intended to be used by an array of individuals, organizations, agencies, and groups. It provides concrete information on how to get the Bright Futures process started and how to sustain it.

Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics is developing the third edition of the Bright Futures Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents, which will be released in 2007, and maintains the national Bright Futures Web site at http://brightfutures.aap.org.