Previous research has highlighted the need to improve teacher education programs with the intent of preparing infant-toddler professionals as working with infants-toddlers and families requires a unique skill set. The following mixed methods research study supported these assertions by examining the early childhood education (ECE) undergraduate…

Policymakers, child care providers, and parents face tradeoffs in determining how much to spend on child care, including how many hours to purchase, and the features of programs that might influence quality. Given these tradeoffs, it is useful to understand what constitutes quality, the cost of care features associated with quality, the effects of…

In Australia, growth in the demand of early childhood services for young children aged birth to three years has placed increased pressure on the early childhood education sector as new policy stipulates the need for qualified teachers. The new policy has resulted in a growth in Master of Early Childhood Education programs in Australian…

This paper critically examines current concerns regarding professional issues in labour force development for teachers with children up to two years of age (UtoT). The concerns in New Zealand (NZ) relate to whether initial teacher-education (ITE) qualifications prepare teachers to work with children UtoT, involving synergy between ITE and the…

In Australia, the growth in the provision of early childhood services for very young children aged birth to three years has placed increased demands on pre-service teachers as new policy stipulates the need for qualified early childhood teachers. While many teacher education programs offer early childhood courses, they have traditionally had a…

The effect of background television on 6- and 12-month-olds' attention during 20 min of toy play was examined. During the first or second half of the session, a clip from a variety of commonly available television programs was presented. The duration and frequency of infants' looks to the toys and to the television indicated that regardless of age…

This study examined the relation between early television exposure and parental interaction style during infant-directed television programs on 2 outcomes: infant looking time and infant responsiveness. By quasi-experimental design half of the 12- to 18-month-old infants had prior exposure to the program content and the other half did not. Cluster…

Home programs for young handicapped children have the potential for enhancing the partnership between home and school. In an effective home program the parent is viewed as the person most qualified to facilitate the child's development. This paper focuses on the philosophy of home programming and details some useful strategies which can be used by…

This paper presents a follow-up study of the academic performance of children who had previously participated in one of eight experimental infant or preschool education projects. The initial phase of the study compared grade retention, special class placement and school dropout rates of the experimental program children with those of children in…

Summarizes rationale for early childhood educational intervention efforts and describes the Carolina Abcedarian Project: a longitudinal, early educational program providing supplemental preschool experiences designed to prevent the cumulative and progressive decline in intellectual and socially adaptive behavior shown by children from extreme…

Surveys and conference discussion found that typical students in preservice special education programs training to serve infants with handicaps and their families receive very little content related to infants or families, in undergraduate or graduate special education. More coverage was found in programs specializing in infancy or early…

Entry-level university programs (N=449) in eight disciplines were surveyed concerning students' preparation to provide services to young children with disabilities and their families. Although considerable variability was found across disciplines, the average student receives little specialized information concerning either the infancy period or…

Describes efforts of the Child Study Center at San Diego University to mainstream infants with disabilities or special needs into a "regular" developmentally appropriate child care programs. (BB)

A short-term descriptive assessment, this study provides summary data on the Parent-Child Center (PCC) comprehensive early childhood intervention programs initiated in 1967 and operated by the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families. PCCs provide low income families with children under three with social service, health, and educational…

This publication contains the administrative rules governing child care centers in the State of Michigan; it sets forth the minimum standards for the care and protection of children attending Michigan's day care centers and nursery schools. The rules, promulgated by the authority conferred on the Department of Social Services by Section 2 of Act…