Welcome to the new home of the Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)®
The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)® is a preeminent early childhood screening tool co-developed by Ellen Perrin, MD, and Chris Sheldrick, PhD.
Beginning in 2008, with funding support from the Commonwealth Fund, Dr. Perrin and Dr. Sheldrick worked to conceptualize, design, refine, test, and publish each portion of the SWYC. Today, professionals around the U.S. and the world have adopted the SWYC in their practices, incorporated it into their electronic medical systems, helped to translate the SWYC into new languages, and included the SWYC in their research.
In 2025, Tufts Medical Center graciously transferred the SWYC to the TEAM UP Scaling and Sustainability Center at Boston Medical Center. TEAM UP is committed to the SWYC’s mission and will continue to steward the SWYC in the future.
The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC)® is a freely available, comprehensive screening instrument for children under 5 years of age. The SWYC was written to be simple to answer, short, and easy to read.
The entire instrument requires 15 minutes or less to complete and is straightforward to score and interpret. The SWYC is approved by MassHealth for compliance with the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative screening guidelines.
Recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics
According to the AAP policy statement on developmental surveillance and screening, “it is appropriate to perform additional developmental screens using validated tests. These screenings should be recognized separately, with appropriate coding, billing, and payment and with the additional cost acknowledged in capitated expectation.”
The policy statement provides “a list of developmental screening tests and their psychometric testing properties,” noting that “these screening tests, which are focused on parent-completed tools, have acceptable psychometric properties.” The table includes the SWYC Milestones under “general developmental screening tests”, the BPSC and PPSC under “behavioural screening tests”, and the POSI under “Autism Screening: Promising Tests”.
Lipkin PH, Macias MM, AAP Council on Children with Disabilities, Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children With Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening. Pediatrics. 2020;145(1):e20193449
Utilizing the SWYC in your practice
Freely available: Any user is welcome to use updated SWYC forms and scoring guides on our website.
The current version of the SWYC has been extensively researched and widely disseminated. In addition, further research is ongoing. For these reasons, any changes to the components of the SWYC are strongly discouraged. In unusual circumstances, requests for exceptions will be considered by the authors. Please email SWYC.TEAMUPCenter@bmc.org with change requests.
Disclaimer
The SWYC and the information on this site are not designed to and do not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, or treatment. The information and any reference materials posted here by TEAM UP Scaling and Sustainability Center are intended solely for the information of the reader. Such information is NOT intended to replace consultation with a qualified medical professional. The SWYC is ©Boston Medical Center.
Permission to Use
All trademarks, service marks, and logos displayed on this website, including but not limited to The Survey of Well-Being of Young Children® and SWYC® are registered trademarks with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are protected by applicable trademark laws. Unauthorized use of these trademarks is strictly prohibited.
Although the SWYC is freely available, it cannot be modified without the express permission of the Original Developer: Chris Sheldrick, PhD, Executive Director: Anita Morris, MSN, or Megan Bair-Merritt, MD, MSCE. If you are interested in translating the SWYC into a new language or administering it in a way that the downloadable forms are inappropriate (e.g., administering the SWYC through an electronic system), please contact the TEAM UP Center at SWYC.TEAMUPCenter@bmc.org.
ABOUT the TEAM UP Scaling and Sustainability Center
Funding Opportunity
The Survey of Well-being of Young Children (SWYC) was intentionally designed to be uniquely suited for pediatric primary care. We find screening works best in the context of integrated care. If you are a Massachusetts-based primary care practice serving children and adolescents, TEAM UP—Transforming and Expanding Access to Mental Health Care Universally in Pediatrics—Scaling and Sustainability Center (TEAM UP Center) at Boston Medical Center is offering an exceptional funding opportunity to partner with the TEAM UP Center in advancing integrated pediatric behavioral health care.