Watch Me Grow Washington

Watch Me Grow Washington sends health and safety information to all parents and caregivers of children from birth to 6 years in Washington State. Our goal is to keep Washington’s kids as safe and healthy as possible. Our information is sent by postal mail and is also available by e-mail.

The materials contain age-specific information about the timing of well-child visits, growth and development, vaccines, nutrition and physical activity, safety, school readiness, and family support and routines. Each week Watch Me Grow sends about 30,000 mailers out to families. That’s over 1.5 million a year!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Watch Me Grow Washington?

Watch Me Grow Washington is our state's immunization and well-child visit reminder program. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) uses the program to remind you of upcoming well-child visits and send health and safety information to you and all families in the state with kids aged birth to six.

All materials are developed, reviewed, and approved by health experts. Doctors, nutritionists, and health topic experts review these materials on a regular basis to ensure Washington families receive evidence-based and up-to-date information.

The mailings are endorsed by the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington Academy of Family Physicians, and the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Maternal Child Health Program.

How does this program work?

Department of Health uses the address information from its Immunization Information System (WAIIS) and the agency's Center for Health Statistics (birth and death records) to send mailings to families about 30 days in advance of the time their child should be receiving a well-child visit from their primary care provider.

When your baby is born in Washington state, your child's birth certificate is filed with DOH. The public part of the birth certificate goes to the WAIIS and it creates a record. The record tells us to start sending you the mailings.

If your baby gets the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine before leaving the hospital, that information also goes to the WAIIS and it creates a record. The record tells us to start sending you the mailings.

If your child was born in a different state and you move to Washington or if you adopt a child, once your child gets an immunization from a health care provider, that information goes to the WAIIS and it creates a record. The record tells us to start sending you the mailings.

There are a total of 17 mailings/e-mails, timed to correspond with the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommended schedule of well-child visits. Each mailing contains an age-appropriate letter and other useful materials. For the first 18 months, mailings/e-mails are sent every 3 months. From 18 months to 6 years, mailings/e-mails are sent every 6 months.

What is in the mailings?

The Watch Me Grow mailings are reminders for you about immunizations your child may need and to help you get ready for your child's next well-child visit. You'll get a mailing about 30 days before your child's next visit until your child turns six. The mailings are provided to you at no cost and you automatically get the information by regular mail.

The materials in the mailings are updated each year by health and safety experts with input from parents and caregivers. Content in the mailings is based on Bright Futures Guidelines, which are theory-based and evidence-driven guidelines for all preventive care screenings and well-child visits.

How do I sign up to receive the mailings?

If your child was born in Washington and is between the ages of 0 – 6 years old, you likely already receive our mailings. If you are not receiving them, sign up to start getting Watch Me Grow mailings. You may also view all our materials online.

Can I opt-out of receiving the mailings?

Yes. If you do not want to receive the Watch me Grow mailings submit this form.

Do you evaluate the Watch Me Grow Washington program?

Yes. Every few years, as funding allows, we evaluate the materials in the Watch Me Grow Washington mailings to ensure the materials meet the department's goals to provide parents and caregivers with relevant, accurate, useful, and up-to-date health and safety information.

We evaluate:

• Parent satisfaction with the materials in the mailings.
• The look and feel of the materials.
• The usefulness of the information in the materials.
• If the information in the mailings reinforces parenting decisions.
• If the information in the mailings helps change knowledge, attitude, and behavior.

We use results of the evaluations to make changes and improvements to the materials.

Our last program evaluation (in English) was completed in late 2015. It highlighted successes such as:

• 96 percent of parents reported reading the materials.
• 93 percent of parents reported learning from these materials.
• 82 percent of parents indicated materials reinforced their parenting decisions.

For more information about past and future evaluations, contact Watch Me Grow via email or call 360-236-4171.

To give feedback or suggestions on Watch Me Grow Washington letters and materials, or to be part of the parent and caregiver review team, contact Watch Me Grow via email or call 360-236-4171.

I am not getting my mailings, what do I do?

Please contact Watch Me Grow via email or call 360-236-4171.

Please allow two business days for us to process it. Thank you!