How to Find the Best of the Web
on Parenting and Child Behavior and Development

The Internet is an amazing resource for parents. A world of parenting information is just a search engine away! But it’s easy to become lost and confused—there are just so many Web sites out there. How do you know if you can trust what you read? Anyone can publish anything on the World Wide Web. There’s no quality control. Many sites are pushing an agenda, and others are trying to sell a product. Some are just plain wrong.

If you can’t find what you need to know here on YourChild, arm yourself with some tools to go out and tackle the ‘Net. Start by reading this Boston Globe article by Barbara Meltz, Parents Want Answers? Surf the Web with Some Skepticism. The article covers some of the potential pitfalls of surfing the ‘Net as a parent.

Below are our picks for the most trustworthy sites on the Web for the information you need as a parent. Whenever you can, make these sites your starting points as you begin your search:

• The Child & Family WebGuide, based at Tufts University, reviews and rates Web pages in the areas of family/parenting, education/learning, typical child development, health/mental health, and resources/recreation. You can browse by topic area or by age group, and can search the site. Recommended sites may be either for parents or professionals. Using the WebGuide is a key way to ensure you are getting valid parenting information that has passed the rigorous scrutiny of child development professionals.
  • An excellent new search tool exists to help you find children’s health and development sites that have been reviewed and rated highly by the Child & Family WebGuide experts at Tufts University.
• Kidshealth has three content areas aimed specifically at parents, teens and kids.  The information is clear and current, and presented with appealing graphics.  Many articles are available in Spanish.
  • Kidshealth also offers summaries of recent news and medical research in children’s health. .
  • Kids and teens get lots of their health information from the Web—especially on topics they’re embarrassed to talk to their parents or doctor about. Point them toward the teens and kids areas of Kidshealth, so you know they’re getting accurate and useful health information. Many articles are also available in Spanish for teens and kids.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics has a great Children's Health Topics section, and their news releases and policy statements contain useful, research-based information for parents. 
• • The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) Digests are short reports on topics of prime current interest in education.  They are targeted at educators, but can be very useful to parents, as well.  The Digests provide an overview of information on a given topic, plus references to items providing more detailed information.  Experts and specialists in the field review the content. To search the database of ERIC Digests, use the advanced search page, and under “Publication Type(s):” scroll down to check the box for “ERIC Digests”, and then type in your search keywords at the top.
• The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) is the national information center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues. Anyone can use the center’s services, which include bilingual (English and Spanish) telephone help. NICHCY’s focus is children and youth—birth to age 22.  The website is also in Spanish.  NICHCY’s site includes information about:
  • Specific disabilities
  • Special education and related services for children in school
  • Individualized education programs
  • Parent materials
  • Disability organizations
  • Education rights and what the law requires
  • Early intervention services for infants and toddlers
  • Transition to adult life
• Zero to Three is a national, nonprofit organization that is dedicated solely to advancing the healthy development of babies and young children.  The section of their website for parents has lots of great tips for parents of young children, including information about brain development, child care and special needs. You may need to register and log in to access some resources.
• CYFERnet (The Child, Youth and Families Education and Research Network) is a national network of Land Grant university faculty and county Extension educators working to support community-based educational programs for children, youth, parents and families.  On their website, you can browse topics by age-group (see the purple bar on the left-hand side) or search for information on a specific topic of interest.  They provide information for parents, educators, and communities, and host a 4-H section for kids.
• Aboutourkids.org, sponsored by the New York University Child Study Center, offers articles on many parenting and mental health topics, and a Q&A on common parenting concerns.  Some articles are written more for professionals, but there is much here for parents.  You can browse or search the site without difficulty.
• Medline Plus is an amazing resource.  It is a service of the National Library of Medicine, and includes health topics, interactive health tutorials, medical encyclopedias and dictionaries, information about medications, directories of health care providers, and news, articles, online publications and databases, and organizations.  It’s easy to search and fun to browse.  Below are some of the topic areas of interest to us:
  • Premature Babies
  • Infant and Toddler Development
  • Child Development
  • Teen Development
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Child Behavior Disorders
  • Teen Sexual Health
  • Learning Disorders
  • Kids’ Page
  • Teens’ Page
• The National Institute of Mental Health has a page on Child and Adolescent Mental Health.  From here, you can find out about many mental health problems of childhood.  Some topics include easy-reading brochures, and some include very comprehensive booklets you can download.
• dbpeds.org is a site aimed at professionals interested in child development and behavior. Their website posts lots of handouts for parents on various topics and some areas of their collections are of interest to parents.

Compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N. Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan

Updated December 2007

U-M Health System Related Sites:
Department of Psychiatry
U-M Pediatrics

Our editorial policy
The information and links we provide are reviewed by University of Michigan developmental and behavioral pediatricians and child psychologists who are experts in child behavioral health. In choosing the links we provide, we use strict criteria to ensure that the information is accurate, and the source is reputable. As much as possible, we focus on information that is based on research. In areas where there is inadequate research, we include information compatible with prevailing expert opinion.

This website is updated regularly, but because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, we cannot be responsible for misinformation that may be accessed through the links provided. As always, this website is not a tool for self-diagnosis, and is not a substitute for professional care.

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