The significance of mind-mindedness, or the tendency of adults to ascribe mental states and processes when describing and interpreting children's behavior, is well established in home contexts. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence and pedagogical implications of the mind-mindedness of 24 early childhood practitioners working…

Attachment is the emotional bond between children and their caregivers (parents or otherwise). Infants and young children usually have more than one selective attachment, and all of these attachment relationships, including those between children and teachers, have important effects on cognitive and social development. Secure attachment to a…

Full-day center-based child care has been repeatedly associated with rising cortisol across the child care day. This study addressed the potential buffering role of attachment to mothers and lead teachers in 110 preschoolers while at child care. Using multi-level modeling and controlling for a number of child, family, and child care factors,…

The current study examined professional caregivers' perceived and physiological stress, and associations with the quality of care they provide. Participants were 55 female caregivers from childcare homes and 46 female caregivers from childcare centers in the Netherlands. In both types of settings, equivalent measures and procedures were used. On…

The central question in this study is whether individual variability in children's cortisol levels and wellbeing at childcare can be explained by indices of quality of care and child characteristics. Participants were 71 children from childcare homes and 45 children from childcare centers in the age range of 20-40 months. In both types of settings…

One hundred and twelve children, 56 toddlers and 56 preschoolers, were observed in their family child care settings to determine whether toddlers cared for in settings that also included preschoolers were, relative to the preschoolers, receiving more or less high-quality care and/or whether their functioning at child care appeared to be more or…

Child-staff ratios are an important quality indicator. They are often collected by observing one randomly selected classroom several times during a 2-h period on a single day. However, it is unclear whether these measures represent the ratios that children actually experience during most of their time in care. This study compared ratio data…

Identified teacher and program practices in child care programs serving low-income children and families of color, and examined associations among practices, quality, and observed child behaviors. Identified four meaningful groups of practices. Found that children's competent peer behavior and participation in learning activities could be…

Examined the relationship between variation in 840 children's cognitive activities and child-care quality, interaction with teachers, and children's play activities and attachment security with their child-care teachers. In 7 of the 8 subsamples, 15 to 30% of the variability in cognitive activities could be predicted from positive social…

Notes that the most comforting finding in Mill and Romano- White's study was the high level of affectionate caregiver behaviors in early childhood settings. Suggests that a broader definition of anger might yield different results. Argues that the lack of a relationship between caregivers' self-esteem and angry or affectionate behavior contradicts…

Examined the development of toddler affectionate behavior toward new teachers. Observed 10 toddlers during free play on the first 40 days of day care attendance, recording children's responses to their teacher's smiling, affectionate words, and affectionate contact. Found that smiling received affectionate child responses earlier than other…

Suggests that Mill and Romano-White's findings should motivate reassessment of strategies currently used to enhance teachers' knowledge and skill in working with young children. Argues that teacher education programs need to help preservice teachers engage in reflective practice. Notes that the findings clarify the role of a positive work…

Evaluated the impact of training and experience on the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of AmeriCorps child-care volunteers in North Carolina. Found that Corps members completed successful training, but, after nine months of service, showed a decline in the appropriateness of their interactions with children. (JS)

Examined relations of mother-caregiver communication about the child to the quality of caregiver-child and mother-child interactions for 53 mothers of 3-year-olds. Found that more mother-caregiver communication was significantly related to more sensitive and supportive caregiver-child interactions in child care. Mothers who engaged in more…

Investigated the relationship between parent-caregiver communication and child care quality in 12 child care centers representing different types of sponsorship. Compared to parents, caregivers rated all forms of parent-caregiver communication as more frequent and as more important. Frequency of parent-caregiver communication and quality of child…