This issue's "Voices of Pioneers" segment features the work of Karl Menninger, pre-eminent psychiatrist, and his contributions to prison reform, mental health, and child care systems. Notes many of Menninger's books and writings, including relevant quotes throughout the article. Also describes Menninger's concern over the plight of…

Research tells us that specialized training and education of teachers is one of the strongest predictors of child care quality. In the late 1960s, however, most states did not require preservice training or higher education for teachers in early childhood programs or family child care homes. At that time, Missouri wanted to develop a project that…

This bibliography on nanny child care contains approximately 180 references to material about nannies, mother's helpers, au pairs, and governesses. The bibliography is organized by the categories of newspaper articles, journal articles, newsletter articles, books, and audiovisual materials. The items are drawn primarily from U.S. sources, but some…

Intended for use by child care advocates, this booklet describes ways to gather local information about existing salaries, benefits, and working conditions among child care workers for the purpose of coordinating efforts to upgrade the field. The booklet begins by presenting the rationale behind conducting salary surveys, noting that surveys can…

A study program leading to masters' degrees for child care administrators is especially designed to match their needs in terms of education and ongoing job responsibilities. (Author/SE)

A child care agency has developed a career ladder to make the child care position more attractive to young people. As another step toward professionalization of the child care field, it could serve as a model for other agencies. (GO)

The organizer of the Silverlake People's Playground in Los Angeles describes the playground's beginnings, its objectives, its struggles with city bureaucracy and its part in the national movement for quality day care. (Editor)

Skills/competencies for aides/child care workers (entry) and teachers/directors (advanced) were rated by 11 day care directors, 38 teachers, 5 workers, and 18 aides. More than half of the skills were identified as important for entry level. The only areas rated solely advanced were communicating with parents and working with special needs…

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)

Five major factors are responsible for the daycare industry increasing at a faster rate than the number of working mothers: growth in numbers of children under six, family changes causing decreased care by relatives, government funding, tax credits, and private initiatives, such as corporate and nonprofit-sponsored daycare. (SK)

In 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Early Learning Initiative (ELI) to improve the school readiness of Washington State's children through three main strategies: (1) development of high-quality, community-wide early learning initiatives in two communities; (2) enhancement of statewide systems that support early…

This directory includes lists of people, agencies, and organizations that represent many of the key stakeholders in early childhood education career development and training work. It is intended to give activists from all walks of the early care and education field a place to start and a way to know to whom they should be talking both within and…

The booklet is the third in a series on the ways that child care centers can contribute to the healthy growth, and development of preschool children, and focused on is helping the child adapt to change. The change of starting school is viewed in terms of the mother's role, the difficulty of leaving mother behind, feelings of the first day, getting…

This project attempted to show that rural disadvantaged young women can be trained for employment as day-care attendants. The nine course participants were selected from a group of women between the ages of 18 and 25 who had previously received training in basic education and life skills. Criteria included physical and mental health, grooming,…