INFANTS & TODDLERS

Look for Quality Care for Infants -- Information on how and when to start looking for child care and a list of qualities to look for in infant care.

A Caring Place for Your Infant -- A brochure that describes key areas of infants' development, suggests the basic educational approach that helps children learn and thrive, and details what parents should look for in an early childhood program.

Finding the Best Care for Your Infant and Toddler -- A guide to making informed choices about the options for caring for infants and toddlers.

Choosing Quality Child Care -- Basic principles of care for infants. Includes description of quality caregivers; a list of questions to ask when looking for child care for your infant; and information on how to find quality care.

Quality Infant and Toddler Child Care -- Information from Zero to Three's publication, Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups: Developmentally Appropriate Practice. NOTE: You can access this information by clicking on the link to the publication inside the "Choosing Quality Child Care" article.

Developmentally Appropriate Care:  What Does it Mean? -- This article looks at the meaning of developmentally appropriate care; appropriate care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; developmentally appropriate equipment and space guidelines; developmentally appropriate care to prepare your child for school; and general features of developmentally appropriate care.

When Babies and Toddlers are in Child Care, Accreditation is Key to Quality -- This article addresses brain development, learning and development during the early years, the importance of accreditation in ensuring quality infant and toddler care, what it means when a child care center is NAEYC-accredited, and the process of receiving NAEYC accreditation.

Matching Your Infant's or Toddler's Style to the Right Child Care Setting -- Brochure that guides you in using what you know about your baby -- personal style, activity level, need for social interaction, and tolerance -- to select a child care setting that's right for him or her. Information also is included on considering issues such as health and safety, sleep, cultural identity, and special needs. NOTE: You can access this information by clicking on the link "Choosing Child Care that Fits Your Child."

Fast Facts on Caring For Infants and Toddlers -- This article looks at major findings from a report on how families and society care for children under age three. The information was published in the Spring/Summer 2001 issue of The Future of Children, a publication of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The findings address the importance of the first three years of life, the percentage of young children in child care settings, work as an economic necessity, the struggle to balance the desire to be home with young children with the demands of work, the expense and quality of child care options for working and low-income parents, and promising models emerging to support parents as they raise young children.

Child Care Bulletin: Infants and Toddlers in Child Care -- An issue of the bulletin focusing on infant and toddlers in child care. Includes information on promoting quality care for infants and toddlers, caring for infants with special needs, designing group care environments for infants and toddlers, initiatives across the country in infant and toddler care, credentials for infant and toddler caregivers, national study of early child care examining different care settings, hazardous used cribs, and specialized training for infant and toddler caregivers.

Better Baby Care -- The Better Baby Care Campaign is a nationwide effort to improve the early care of infants and toddlers while their parents are working, in school, or in need of out-of-home services. The campaign seeks to work in collaboration with existing national, state and local organizations to bring attention to the issues and to improve the policies that govern the quality of care, and parent education, family support, paid family leave and related policies. The web site provides information on the campaign, facts and research findings on infant & toddler care, and resources for better baby care (resources on health & safety, family-centered care, developmentally appropriate care, and state and local initiatives).

Better Kid Care: Caring of Infants and Toddlers -- This video covers books for babies, how children learn as they grow, activities for infants, learning by watching, toddlers are terrific, and feeding and eating. Part of the Better Kid Care series.

The Future of Children: Caring for Infants and Toddlers -- Volume 11, Number 1 - Spring/Summer 2001 Issue. This issue includes the following articles: Caring for Infants and Toddlers: Analysis and Recommendations, Development in the First Years of Life, Child Care and Our Youngest Children, Caring for Our Youngest: Public Attitudes in the United States, Employer Supports for Parents with Young Children, Federal and State Efforts to Improve Care for Infants and Toddlers, International Policies Toward Parental Leave and Child Care, Reports from the Field: Family and Medical Leave: Making Time for Family Is Everyone's Business, Reports from the Field: Child Care Within the Family, Reports from the Field: The Military Child Care Connection, Reports from the Field: Early Head Start for Low-Income Families with Infants and Toddlers, Reports from the Field: Starting Points: State and Community Partnerships for Young Children, and Reports from the Field: Implementation of California's Children and Families First Act of 1998.

Who's Caring for Our Youngest Children? Child Care Patterns of Infants and Toddlers -- This report looks at a study of child care that used the National Survey of America’s Families (NSAF) to present national findings on the types of care, hours in care, and the numbers of child care arrangements used for children under age 3 of working mothers. The paper also looks at how these aspects of care differ depending on characteristics of the children and families. Because of the frequent use of relative care settings for this age group, an in-depth view of some key characteristics of these arrangements is also provided.

How Does Infant and Toddler Care Measure Up? -- The Child Outcomes in Child Care Centers Study (CQ&O) measured the details of quality of early childhood programs around the country. In "Quality Details: A Close-Up Look at Child Care Program Strengths and Weaknesses," (Young Children, July 1997), Debby Cryer and Leslie Phillipsen summarized the study's results to help practitioners take an objective look at how well they are meeting the needs of the children in their care. This article presents their findings related to infant and toddler programs.

Secure Relationships: Nuturing Infant/Toddler Attachment in Early Care Settings -- Alice Honig, with her vast experience and deep knowledge of research and theory, distills key points needed in understanding and building attachment. For healthy adjustment in childhood and later in life, infants and toddlers need secure attachments to the adults who care for them. Loving, responsive, and consistent care from primary caregivers is key to young children learning to form relationships. This book contains vital information and sound advice for caregivers and parents.

Educating and Caring for Very Young Children: The Infant/Toddler Curriculum -- Based on up-to-date research, this book is an essential tool for early childhood educators, administrators, parents, and all involved in the care and development of young children.

The Program for Infant/Toddler Caregivers -- The mission of PITC is to promote responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers. The web site includes Powerpoint slide shows; a list of products, including videos, guides, and manuals; and information on module training institutes. The institutes are offered to educators, program managers, and other professionals responsible for training caregivers. These intensive sessions help trainers deepen their understanding of each module's content and acquire skills in the integrated presentation of the concepts in the PITC videos and guides. Upon completing the certification requirements, participants receive a certificate of completion that recognizes them as trainers for the specific module in which they receive training.

New Research Shows That Even for Infants, Toddlers Better-Quality Care Boosts Thinking, Language Skills -- This article looks at a study by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The research offers support for the view that quality indeed makes a difference and is worth the investment. The investigators at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center found that even infants and toddlers in superior child care were more likely to show better intellectual and language skills and learn language faster than others in poor quality care.

Building Baby's Brain: What Child Care Can Do -- Information on elements of quality child care, types of care for infants, and possible impacts of low-quality care.

BrainNet: For Parents and Caregivers -- Things parents and caregivers can do to support infants' and toddlers' brain development. Includes information on child care.

Child Care: Is It Good or Bad for Children -- Information about the best age to place children in child care, attachment, bonding, child care centers vs. family homes, how child care may affect your child's health, etc.

Child Care Food: Is It Nutritious And Safe? -- This article presents basic questions about food you should ask when you are selecting child care for infants and toddlers.

Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale -- The Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS) was developed especially for the assessment of infant/toddler group care. The ITERS consists of 35 items which assess the quality of center-based child care for children up to 30 months of age. This 35 item scale covers seven categories: Furnishings and Display for Children, Personal Care Routines, Listening and Talking, Learning Activities, Interaction, Program Structure, and Adult Needs.

Child Care That Works:  Child Care Checklist For Parents -- This publication includes the following information: Know Your Options, Five Steps to Selecting Good Child Care, and If Problems Arise.

State Child Care Licensure Regulations -- A comprehensive listing of child care licensing requirements for each state. State contacts are provided.

Making Goodbyes Easier For Children and Parents -- This article looks at the reasons young children experience anxiety when separated from their parents and suggests things parents can do to make separations easier for themselves and their children.

A Caring Place For Your Toddler -- A brochure published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Child care providers can use this publication to communicate the developmentally appropriate approach that characterizes their program. It describes key areas of toddlers' development, suggests the basic educational approach that helps children learn and thrive, and details what parents should look for in an early childhood program.

Toddler Curriculum: Making Connections -- This video examines how toddlers, 12 to 36 months of age, develop and learn. It depicts developmentally appropriate curriculum in the toddler classroom.

Toddler Tales: 19-21 Months -- A series of publications about one-year-olds. This issue addresses many topics, including child care for your toddler. It discusses different types of child care options; what to look for in child care centers, family child care homes, and preschool settings; and easing the transition into child care settings.

Good Times With Childcare -- This resource is a training curriculum for child care providers. Resources included in the curriculum are listed below. Each resource provides "ages & stages" information.

Good Times at Mealtime -- Addresses many different aspects of providing appropriate and pleasant mealtimes with children, including age-appropriate expectations for children.

Good Times at Parties -- Gives information that will help caregivers plan parties for special occasions that are appropriate to the age of the children involved. Suggestions are made for planning and for activities that children will enjoy.

Good Times at Play -- Providers learn about the value of play for children's development and how to plan appropriate play experiences for young children.

Good Times Being Creative -- Gives caregivers information about the importance of creative experiences in young children's development. The authors give ages and stages information about creativity in children at different ages, from birth through age 9. Suggestions are given for activities that will enhance children's creativity through art, music, and pretending, including recipes for finger paints and play doughs.

Good Times with Guidance & Discipline -- Discusses misbehavior typical of different ages of children and the guidance and discipline strategies that are most effective with each group. Suggested activities are included for extending the ideas provided in the text.

Good Times with Health & Safety -- Contains information on how to help children of all ages grow up safely.

Good Times with Music & Rhythm -- Focuses on music and rhythm. Includes teaching tips and how to make homemade musical instruments.

Good Times with Snacks -- Provides information on snack time, including what are snacks, why are they important, how you can help, and learn by doing.

Good Times with Special Children -- Helps caregivers understand the definition of "special needs." The authors discuss various categories of special needs and how caregivers can support and provide care for children with each type of special need, and suggests resources that specifically address the needs of those children.

Good Times with Toys -- Gives information about selecting appropriate toys and play materials for children from birth through age nine. The authors give information about the value of toys (including a short discussion about the value of TV) as well as suggestions for interacting with children as they play with toys.

Good Times with Toddlers -- This fact sheet describes characteristics of toddlers and ways that caregivers can encourage their development.

PRESCHOOLERS

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE CARE:  WHAT DOES IT MEAN? -- This article looks at the meaning of developmentally appropriate care; appropriate care for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers; developmentally appropriate equipment and space guidelines; developmentally appropriate care to prepare your child for school; and general features of developmentally appropriate care.

PRESCHOOL PLANNING GUIDE -- This fact sheet provides care providers with information on planning activities for preschool age children. An example of a webbed planning guide and a curriculum planning guide are provided.

CHILD CARE: IS IT GOOD OR BAD FOR CHILDREN -- Information about the best age to place children in child care, attachment, bonding, child care centers vs. family homes, how child care may affect your child's health, etc.

CHILD CARE: RAISING CHILDREN TOGETHER -- This fact sheet discusses issues that parents and child care providers will more than likely encounter while a child is in child care and how parents and providers can work through them together.  Issues include toilet learning, biting, eating habits, holidays, and children's misbehavior.

A GOOD PRESCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD -- This brochure provides parents with a quick picture of developmentally appropriate programs in action and describes why such programs work best for children.

CHILD CARE THAT WORKS:  CHILD CARE CHECKLIST FOR PARENTS -- This publication includes the following information: Know Your Options, Five Steps to Selecting Good Child Care, and If Problems Arise.

STATE CHILD CARE LICENSURE REGULATIONS -- A comprehensive listing of child care licensing requirements for each state. State contacts are provided.

NUMBER IN PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN:  EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF PIAGET'S THEORY -- What arithmetic activities are better than teaching children to count and fill in worksheets? Hundreds!  Children learn about numbers by voting, dividing snacks, playing games, even cleanup!  Chapters include: the nature of number; objectives for teaching number; and principles of teaching.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS:  PRESCHOOL AND TECHNOLOGY -- A video that enables teachers, parents, and community groups to see how computers can enhance learning in developmentally appropriate programs for young children.

YOUR PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM COMPUTER CENTER:  HOW DOES IT MEASURE UP? -- A video that illustrates ten practical tips on setting up and developing a computer center. Suggestions range from safety to the use of software.

WIDENING THE CIRCLE:  INCLUDING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS -- Explores the barriers to and influences on inclusive education settings for young children.  Covers such timely topics as individualized instruction, social relationships of children with disabilities, collaborative relationships among adults, family perceptions of inclusion, classroom ecology and child participation, community participation, social policy, and cultural and linguistic diversity. Useful implications for practitioners.

GOOD TIMES WITH CHILD CARE -- This resource is a training curriculum for child care providers. Resources included in the curriculum are listed below. Each resource provides ages & stages information.

Good Times at Mealtime -- Addresses many different aspects of providing appropriate and pleasant mealtimes with children, including age-appropriate expectations for children.

Good Times at Parties -- Gives information that will help caregivers plan parties for special occasions that are appropriate to the age of the children involved. Suggestions are made for planning and for activities that children will enjoy.

Good Times at Play -- Providers learn about the value of play for children's development and how to plan appropriate play experiences for young children.

Good Times Being Creative -- Gives caregivers information about the importance of creative experiences in young children's development. The authors give ages and stages information about creativity in children from birth through age 9. Suggestions are given for activities that will enhance children's creativity through art, music, and pretending, including recipes for finger paints and play doughs.

Good Times with Guidance & Discipline -- Discusses misbehavior typical of different ages of children and the guidance and discipline strategies that are most effective with each group. Suggested activities are included for extending the ideas provided in the text.

Good Times with Health & Safety -- Contains information on how to help children of all ages grow up safely.

Good Times with Music & Rhythm -- Focuses on music and rhythm. Includes teaching tips and how to make homemade musical instruments.

Good Times with Snacks -- Provides information on snack time, including what are snacks, why are they important, how you can help, and learn by doing.

Good Times with Special Children -- Helps caregivers understand the definition of "special needs." The authors discuss various categories of special needs and how caregivers can support and provide care for children with each type of special need, and suggests resources that specifically address the needs of those children.

Good Times with Toys -- Gives information about selecting appropriate toys and play materials for children from birth through age nine. The authors give information about the value of toys (including a short discussion about the value of TV) as well as suggestions for interacting with children as they play with toys.