Discusses NAEYC's efforts to advance early care and education providers' knowledge base, skills, and responsibility levels, and the implications of corresponding public policy related to their training. Suggests that the professional training agenda must prepare caregivers to meet the needs of children of various races, languages, social classes,…

Investigated possible causes for the high turnover rate among family day-care (FDC) providers by examining the effects of perceived social support, job satisfaction, and the establishment of boundaries between the FDC provider's nuclear family and her FDC system. Stable providers were more likely than nonstable providers to report high job…

Reviews caregiver communication behaviors that have been described in the child language literature as facilitating language learning and use. Strategies for engaging and sustaining interactions with young children are presented. Accompanying scripts provide examples of early childhood educators interacting with children during play and daily…

Examines role of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships in England, consisting of providers and local authority representatives, in providing accessible, affordable childcare and in developing appropriate professional skills across a wide range of providers. Considers educational policy behind the partnerships. Notes concern that…

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…

Suggests strategies for rethinking the early childhood program environment. Recommends reflecting program values throughout the environment, understanding how different elements influence behavior, and considering the role of schedules, routines, and rituals. Strategies include reinventing assessment tools, identifying the feelings elicited by…

Suggests that Mill and Romano-White's findings should motivate reassessment of strategies currently used to enhance teachers' knowledge and skill in working with young children. Argues that teacher education programs need to help preservice teachers engage in reflective practice. Notes that the findings clarify the role of a positive work…

Developments in information technology and the ongoing restructuring of health services to increase provision in community settings militate in favour of a streamlining of communications and the exchange of information about patients among health and social care providers. Yet the principles of confidentiality and privacy appear to inhibit this…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of intimate partner violence among female caregivers of children reported to child protective services. Method: Data were derived from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of children investigated for child abuse and…

The first three years of life are critical for children's development and well-being. The care of these very young children is highly specialised and challenging work. Challenges in meeting the unique and varied needs of infants and toddlers in group care are compounded by the generally poor conditions of employment experienced by staff. When…

The case of Mrs. Terri Schiavo illustrates common themes in family caregiving at the end of life but is distinctive from most family caregiving situations in other ways. As occurred in Mrs. Schiavo's case, family members do act as both caregivers and decisionmakers for their loved ones at the end of life, often without the benefit of written…

The present study reports preliminary findings on the elicitation strategies used by Thai and English caretakers when eliciting past event narratives from pre-schoolers. Ten Thai and ten English-speaking caretaker-child dyads were recruited from Bangkok, Thailand and from Sydney, Australia. Caretakers were asked to elicit past event narratives…

Passed in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires all children to be eligible for child care services, despite their special needs. Regardless of a child's unique circumstances, he or she has the same basic needs as all other children. Each requires a secure, stimulating environment that encourages ongoing development, whatever that…

Confident in what she knows, excited about what she's learning, eager to share her passion with others--this is Marsha Williams, director of In Arms Reach Home Day Care, Baltimore, Maryland. She enjoys being a family care provider, because with no more than eight children, she manages to give more individualized attention on a daily basis. She…

Accessible support programs can improve health outcomes for family caregivers of older relatives with a chronic condition. Over the course of 6 months, 27 experienced family caregivers provided weekly support via the telephone to 66 individuals, either new family caregivers of seniors recently diagnosed with stroke or newly vulnerable family…