In efforts to address child care provider concerns about the staffing crisis, many Smart Start counties in North Carolina are seeking to implement substitute programs to promote release time for child caregivers to return to school or to cover staff illness and leave time. This type of substitute program involves the use of regularly employed,…

Noting that parents of infants and toddlers find child care substandard and expensive, and recognizing the importance of children's earliest experiences for later intellectual and emotional functioning, this policy brief examines what research reveals about the kinds of relationships, experiences, and environments that foster healthy child…

This study evaluated Generation II of the Faith in Action program (which united faith-based organizations and volunteers in providing in-home care), assessing how many original grantees still served their communities, numbers of volunteers and clients involved with the programs, services provided, and program growth since receiving surveys of…

This paper describes the conceptual and activity focus of a training program for parents and childcare providers to help children develop their learning potential. The program thereby facilitates children's integration into society and enhancement of further learning propensities needed by them to adapt. The focus of the work is to create…

Noting a growing consensus that inadequate compensation contributes to turnover among child care teachers and providers, and undermines the quality of services available to children through the state of California, this report presents compensation guidelines developed as a means for Title 5 child care centers and others in California to assess…

For many working parents, hiring a caregiver to work in their home is the best solution for their child care and household needs. In-home care can be tailored to individual family needs, and, in the case of multiple children, can be the most convenient and cost-effective option. This handbook is designed to guide you through the process of finding…

Investigated the attitudes of child care institution staff members on dimensions of authoritarianism, dogmatism, and coercion, and related attitudes to type of institution in which subject was employed and position held in the institution. (DP)

Family day care settings vary widely and present difficulties in regulation, but the key to effective service to children in a family care home is the care giver. This paper discusses the requisites of a family care home and the necessary attributes of the care giver. (Author/ST)

Describes the Nashville Child Center, which has a large percentage of men on its teaching staff. (MB)

Sex education for children in foster care raises special problems in part because the background of most youngsters in placement usually includes insecure relationships with the family adults. Another special risk may lie in the sex attitudes of foster parents and child care workers. Orientation programs for them are a first step toward sex…

A survey of 84 day care programs compared staff who participated in child abuse intervention and prevention activities with those who did not. No differences were found on intervention activities, but staff in the trained group were significantly more involved in prevention and high risk referral. (CL)

Two experiements evaluated a staff-managed feedback system to improve the hygiene and developmental skills of children in an infant/toddler center. The data supported the use of the new feedback system. Questionnaire data further supported the utility of the playchart system. (Author/CL)

Forty-three infants and mothers were observed in the Strange Situation when infants were 12.5 and 19.5 months old. Following each assessment, mothers completed a questionnaire concerning changes in family and care-giving circumstances. Results indicate that security of attachment reflects the current status of infant-mother interaction and that…

Discusses the topic of reciprocity of needs between children and caregivers and argues that children need to learn dependency before they can securely learn independence. (Author/RH)

Reviews research on infant stimulation and cognitive development, and details implications for infant caregivers. (Author/MP)