During the 2022 legislative session, the Maryland state legislature passed the Early Childhood Development -- Child Care Scholarship Program -- Alterations and Study bill (Ch. 525 HB995/SB920). This bill required the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to complete a study on several key factors of the legislation on or before December 1,…

People always want to begin by defining play, but playworker and play theorist Gordon Sturrock says, "Trying to define play is like trying to define love. You can't do it. It's too big for that." Instead, playworkers and theorists describe play this way: "Play is a set of behaviors that are freely chosen, personally directed, and intrinsically…

There has been much policy interest on the theme of children's services in recent years. For example, the 1998 National Child Strategy explicitly aims to ensure good quality, affordable childcare for children aged 0 to 14 in every neighbourhood, including both formal childcare and support for informal arrangements. The sector has a changed a lot…

The purposes of this study were to present a conceptual model for selection into the early childhood profession and to test the model using contemporaneous assessments. A stratified random sample of center-based child care providers in 4 Midwestern states (n=964) participated in a telephone interview, and 223 were also assessed with the Early…

Preschools in a secondary school setting can add a dynamic dimension to child development and parenting courses. They serve as laboratories for classes and as a preschool program for children, and they provide a service for parents and the community. (JOW)

Describes the development of a curriculum guide for gifted students enrolled in child development and guidance programs in Virginia Beach City Schools, intended to encourage such students to enter child-related professions. (SK)

Cooperation between local businesses and the home economics departments at a high school and a technical college has been successful in preparing high school students for jobs in the child care field. Course content includes child development, guidance, communication, discipline, and teaching skills; observation and experience are provided at…

Intergenerational day care is a growing trend. Training of dual caregivers involves three challenges: (1) identifying minimum knowledge needed to work with both adults and children; (2) lack of data on effects of intergenerational care; and (3) hesitancy of students and faculty to study/teach about both groups. (SK)

As the world economy continues to evolve, businesses and industries must adopt new practices and processes in order to survive. Quality and cost control, work teams and participatory management, and an infusion of technology are transforming the way people work and do business. Employees are now expected to read, write, and communicate…

Article discusses the origins and development of the Child Development Associate Program for training professional staff in child care. (GB)

On the assumption that there will be a national program of day care for preschool children, the author presents the major issues involved. An attempt is made to bring together some figures on current need and available facilities, to examine policy considerations in the implementation of programs, to present some difficulties in providing adequate…

Part 1 of the South Carolina child care job training curriculum guide provides an orientation to child care employment and covers personal development, identifying job opportunities, applying for a job, and understanding the meaning of work. Part 2 focuses on the specific job skills necessary for work as a child care aide, such as child growth and…

These proceedings of the first annual SACUS workshop on infant day care contain the papers presented at the conference, plus an appendix--Developmental Objectives for Infants and Toddlers. The papers are: "Infant Day Care--Fads, Facts, and Fancies" by Bettye M. Caldwell; "Family Day Care""A Broad Perspective" by Malcolm S. Host; "Getting…

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of four terminal objectives for a fundamentals of child care occupations course. The materials were designed to prepare students for entry level employment in jobs involving the care and guidance of children. Major concepts include growth,…