SEEK was developed to take advantage of primary health care to help prevent child maltreatment. Considerable progress had been made identifying abused and neglected children, but much room remained (and remains) for preventing maltreatment – before it occurs. A review of the research literature revealed certain risk factors to be commonly associated with child abuse and neglect: parental depression, major stress, substance use, intimate partner violence, harsh punishment and food insecurity. This list is clearly not inclusive, but it prioritizes problems for which some services are often available. It was thought that if we could help with these problems, we should see fewer maltreated children. In recent years, we’ve added optional concerns such as child care and gun safety to the SEEK screener. Importantly, we should also see stronger families, healthier parents and parenting, and improved health, development, wellbeing and safety of children. This is the cascade SEEK aims to set in motion.

Two large, federally funded studies of SEEK were conducted, one in a high-risk urban population, the other in a relatively low risk suburban population. The findings were very encouraging, showing lower rates of child maltreatment in families exposed to the SEEK approach.

Steadily, increasing numbers of practices have been adopting the SEEK approach, and their experience has been very positive. Parents too appear grateful for the interest shown in the whole family. This experience has helped to further develop SEEK.  The National SEEK Study, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, found that the SEEK approach can be implemented in a variety of pediatric primary care settings. The Study also found the significant benefit of training, either independently online or via a Maintenance of Certification – 4 Activity. SEEK has worked with two software companies – CHADIS and Phreesia - to help implement the approach electronically.