Notes that the environment in early childhood should be educational for students and their teachers. Stresses the need for improved staff-development opportunities. These sessions should mirror the caregivers' realities in who they are and how they see the world. Suggests that a way of seeing and respecting the lives of others should be offered…

An evaluation of an interdisciplinary team approach to the delivery of childcare provider training revealed that the 171 participants increased their knowledge in four key content areas. A statistically significant change occurred on all 16 content areas. The team approach can serve as a model for other collaborative efforts by extension…

Presents suggestions for early childhood teachers and caregivers to make the most of professional development opportunities. Recommends setting goals for training, determining one's learning style, identifying one's stage of professional development, and selecting the appropriate type of training. Presents specific guidelines for program-based…

Reviews Bassett's work intended to provide information to people training to be caregivers to infants and young children. Notes the clear presentation, wide coverage, and skill checklists. Recommends the book for parents and infant and child caregivers. (JPB)

Surveyed in-home child caregivers and employers about their child care environments. Found that the caregivers were mostly young, well-educated, hard-working, committed; typically, they showed child-related coursework in high school and were poorly compensated. Parents employing the caregivers were relatively affluent and satisfied with in-home…

The number of individuals diagnosed with autism has risen at an alarming rate. Expanding services should be a primary consideration of programs for children and their families. This article presents outcome data from a week-long parent education program for families of children with autism to suggest that parents can learn not only how to…

The goal of NAEYC's National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development is to improve the quality of services provided to young children and their families by enhancing the quality, consistency, and accessibility of early childhood education professional preparation. In this compilation of presentations, key leaders offer their…

Noting that babysitting is a serious responsibility, this videotape provides information, guidelines, and practical advice to train and prepare teenagers for the job of babysitting. Though not intended to replace the advice of a professional babysitting course or first aid course instructor, or parent/guardian who can better guide teens on…

Noting the considerable variation in state child care licensing regulations, this packet provides data on states' training requirements for child care licensing. Contents of the packet are: (1) an introductory article, "Training Requirements in Child Care Licensing that Promote a Career Development Approach," which includes extensive…

Children's earliest experiences set the stage for school success and adult productivity. In the first three years of life, the brain grows at breakneck speed, creating more than a trillion pathways for learning and development. By the age of three, 85 percent of the brain's capacity is in place, creating the ability to speak, learn, and reason.…

Examined associations among infant caregivers' training and the quality of care they provide. Found through observation and rating of 50 Caucasian female caregivers that as infant caregiver training levels increased, so did mean scores on some dimensions of quality, such as personal care routines and learning activities. (EV)

At site visits to approximately 2,800 family day care homes in Texas, assessed indices of caregiver competency (attainment of high school diploma, attendance at training and orientation sessions, and participation in elective professional activities) and facility compliance to 116 Texas family day care standards. Found that increased caregiver…

Interviewed Canadian caregivers and other stakeholders about training for family child care providers, and what they see as key training issues. Suggested that training programs be made more available and accessible, but also more relevant. Suggested that standardized core content be embedded in an adult learning process focusing on real-world…

Details steps to make day care staff training well-targeted, creative, and useful. The steps are: identify training needs, select training topic and define the target audience, define training goals, select methods of presentation and activities, provide good training resources for future use, evaluate training, and infuse the training with…

Despite Minnesota's reputation for quality child care, recent changes in legislation and the impact of changing needs have raised concerns about the quality of child care available in the state. This paper presents an overview of Minnesota's current child care system including structural indicators of program quality such as licensing standards,…