We live in an increasingly sexualised society, and the buying and selling of sex is a feature of this society. The laws about prostitution are complex, but the act of selling or buying sex is in itself not illegal. The author has extensive clinical experience of hearing the stories of men with learning disabilities who do use commercial sex…

Disability support personnel within Australia include those who provide direct and daily care to people with intellectual disability (ID), largely in residential and day service contexts. Their roles and responsibilities are many, calling on far ranging skills. Yet, they come to these roles with levels of education that range from incomplete high…

Discusses the problems arising from discriminating between childcare and early education. Suggests that children in every setting learn something that has implications for future learning. Funding and support for early education, intervention, or enrichment should build on the existing network of programs of all kinds, with the goal of helping…

Child caregivers are in a particularly strong position to be child advocates, as they have the most current and effective information about child development. Advocacy is a fundamental responsibility of NAEYC, which is exploring ways to increase its advocacy activities. Effective advocacy requires a variety of individuals with an extensive range…

Coohey's paper is a valuable investigation of the substantiation of mothers for failure to protect their children from child sexual abuse (CSA). Drawing on concerns regarding the possible inconsistency of decisions to substantiate, Coohey sought to determine the factors relied on by CPS investigators in the decision-making process. Multivariate…

Explores family-style meal service as a means to building autonomy and healthy eating behaviors in young children. Discusses the development of food preferences, age-related developmental responses to food, and the importance of socially mediated exposure to food as a way to increased food acceptance. Presents guidelines for implementing…

Summarizes information on possible infertility treatments and discusses the needs they create and the issues they raise for children and parents. Offers ideas on what early childhood caregivers and educators can do to help families who are engaging in these treatments. (JW)

Discusses the need for child caregivers to be aware of cultural differences as they relate to individual autonomy and the family. Relates ideas on teaching toddlers self-help skills so they can become independent, and shares a personal story illustrating connected, yet independent, family members. (TJQ)

As part of a commitment to quality, child care workers acknowledge the need to deliver an anti-bias curriculum; gender is one area of concern. This paper examines some of the research about development of gender segregation behaviors in young children, particularly during conflict resolution, and suggests appropriate strategies for addressing…

Reflects upon the nature of caring and teaching in the infant care setting. Presents two scenarios of caregivers interacting with infants and toddlers who are having difficulty with a motor activity to illustrate caring. Urges caregivers to consider caring as an attitude of total, focused presence with the child and at the heart of teaching. (KB)

Explains how simple daily events can be pivotal for youth and children in therapeutic care, noting that the relationship between caregiver and child begins with the first step of "saying hello." Emphasizes that this relationship is a tool to help the child reach goals and that it is never easy to know how to begin. (BGC)

The large achievement gap between white and minority children cannot be bridged by only improving schools. The factors which need to be looked into are health need of the children, providing stable housing to low-income families and increasing the number of professional caregivers during the out-of- school hours.

Defines a high-maintenance parent as one requiring more from the child care organization than the average parent. Suggests six points for choosing response: take a positive nonjudgmental approach; see parent's view; focus on strengths; understand importance of communication and negotiation skills; be respectful; and respect boundaries of your own…

Discusses connections between early childhood experiences and adolescent behavior, based on interviews with troubled 14- to 17-year-olds. Describes common characteristics of troubled adolescents. Asserts that early childhood professionals should take advantage of their opportunity to positively affect individual children and delineates actions to…

Describes an encounter with children in an at-risk preschool program. Concludes from this experience that one of the most significant lessons children begin to learn at this early age is about their potential as human beings. Suggests that in this context, early childhood educators have a responsibility to encourage the full development of all…