These hearing transcripts present testimony before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the 105th Congress on early childhood education and related services. Participants provided different perspectives on early education, focusing on the academic achievement of American students, especially in comparison to students in other countries;…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

The Families Matter series of papers from the Harvard Family Research Project advances the concept of family-centered child care, advocating an approach to early childhood education that addresses the development of the child and family together. Grounded in family support principles, which build on family strengths and work from a community's…

Reviews two books on involving father figures in early childhood and on early education as a career choice for males: "Getting Men Involved: Strategies for Early Childhood Programs" (J. A. Levine, and others), and "Men in Child Care and Early Education: A Handbook for Administrators and Educators" (edited by B. G. Nelson and B. Sheppard). (TJQ)

Surveys how states are investing new federal money in child care quality and supply. Examines several key areas: child care licensing and monitoring; resource and referral services; child care for infants, school-agers, and children with special needs; child care for low-income families; comprehensive and enriched services; provider training;…

Project REACH is a specialized 2-year training program building on the strengths and addressing the limitations of rural Missouri child care providers. The mission of the project was to improve the quality of rural child care and children's cognitive and social development by providing child care providers with local training, support,…

Family, friend and neighbor (FFN) child caregivers represent a significant proportion of caregivers for young children. Yet, these caregivers receive little support for their services. In 2003, the First 5 California Children and Families Commission (First 5 California) began a study to determine the work-related needs of FFN caregivers in…

Responding to serious behaviour problems requires new practice answers and emphases. Best practice principles and a developmental perspective indicate that the family should be the focus of preventative work. The Incredible Years parent training series is described as an important example of an empirically-supported programme that is presently…

Today we often hear that early care and education is becoming or should become a profession. In this article, the authors discuss what it means to be a profession, and a professional and consider how these characteristics apply to the field of early care and education now and in the future. Professionals possess specialized knowledge and…

This series of three papers explores current and emerging issues in professional preparation for the early care and education field. The papers examine a set of interrelated issues: the design and supply of preparation programs within and outside higher education; access to preparation in relation to the need for diversifying the leadership of the…

New federal money for child care, flowing to the states as a result of the landmark 1990 child care legislation, titled the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, has prompted states to make significant improvements in state child care programs and policies. Based on a national survey conducted in 1993 by the Children's Defense Fund (CDF),…

Intended primarily for professionals teaching early childhood and infant intervention courses, this handbook presents an overview of child care as both a support to families and an economic necessity, meeting changing and dynamic needs. Child care settings and types of care are discussed, along with quality indicators, licensing, and provider…

Because of increasing numbers of children from biracial/bi-ethnic families attending childcare programs and increasing awareness of cultural diversity, and in recognition of the connection between a child's success and his or her racial/ethnic self-esteem, this curriculum is intended to help childcare providers integrate activities and materials…

This bibliography provides descriptions and contact information regarding resources produced by American and Canadian family day care training projects and other educational organizations for agencies working with Spanish-speaking family day care providers. Included are resources in the following areas: (1) "Recruitment Resources"; (2)…

Observing and reflecting upon actual interactions between professionals and families in a variety of settings can be a valuable tool in training professionals, who work with young children and their families. This 65-minute videotape presents five 10-minute segments of interactions between professionals and families: (1) occupational therapists…