This Reflection on Practice is based upon a change in the undergraduate course "Family and Community Relations." Historically, this course has been taught on campus in a lecture format, as well as small and large group activities. However, during a spring semester at a midsized Midwestern University, it was altered to provide more direct…

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)

Notes that caregivers need to create an atmosphere that reflects their experiences with children and knowledge of child development. A productive partnership with families improves the quality of care through shared commitment and positive outcomes. Suggests ways caregivers can develop a productive partnership with families, including newsletters,…

Notes that quality child care is judged on a variety of levels, the most significant of which might be caregiver attributes. Discusses three such attributes: respect for and commitment to children, ability to relate to parents, and human relations skills. (JW)

Offers practical advice for staff and families associated with integrated programs. Identifies potential sources of stress and discusses eight strategies toward successful inclusion involving systemic planning, suggested resources, and family participation. Suggests embedding intervention of individual goals and objectives in an activity-based…

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 cultural differences in sleeping practices, focusing on how child caregivers can provide developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive care. Describes co-sleeping as an accepted practice in many cultures with several benefits. Discusses the role of cultural values, beliefs, priorities, and goals and the importance of…

Establishing effective lines of communication holds benefits for both parents and professionals. Benefits include providing opportunities for reinforcement of classroom lessons in the home and increasing parental sense of involvement. Communication can be facilitated by early and ongoing parent-professional contact, the development of classroom…

Four camp directors discuss how the September 11 tragedy and current world events will affect their camps. They describe how they are addressing safety concerns, working with parents, cooperating with outside agencies, hiring and screening international staff, and revising emergency plans. Camps must continue to offer community and support to…

Considers the emergence of family-centered child care as a program model. Presents an historical overview of the family as a child-care component of quality and past efforts in parent education and parent involvement. Outlines a conceptual framework for family-centered child care, and discusses implications for public policy. (Author/KB)

This paper examines the cultural context of day care in Germany and examines the quality of child care within the wider context of child care and education, especially with regard to values defining the roles of families with young children in society. Even parents who use child care question its advantages. Seeking child care is often an…

Describes preliteracy skills in infants and toddlers and the ways adults encourage them, including communicating, incorporating floor and object play, and giving them a wide variety of real experiences. Asserts that caregivers can reassure parents by showing them how they encourage children's intellectual development on a daily basis. (KB)

Work requirements for welfare recipients will pressure state agencies to create employment opportunities for parents and arrangements for child care while parents work. This report examines the topic of recruiting welfare mothers to care for children of other recipients. The report highlights research outlining barriers to work in child care and…

Two camp directors were interviewed about evacuations from their camps due to forest fires. Topics covered include descriptions of the events; actions taken; aspects of advance planning that proved helpful; unexpected portions of the experience and resultant changes made in plans; relations with outside agencies, the media, and parents; working…

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 family child care providers of diverse race, ethnicity, immigrant status, and social class, this book explores the social, political, and economic forces and processes that draw women into the work of family child care. The articles dispel not only myths about why women choose to be family child care…