Compares the psychological adjustment of adolescent mothers (n=27) with that of adolescent nonmothers (n=27), single adult mothers (n=27), and married adult mothers. Adolescent mothers reported greater life enjoyment and well-being than adolescent nonmothers, but more mental health problems and less well-being than married adult mothers. (SR)

Issue includes 17 theme articles on long-term care, covering legal issues, federal role, state programs, demonstration programs, family caregivers, home health care, home care workers, culturally appropriate long-term care, financial support, and cognitive impairments. (SK)

Describes biases in early child care profession against home-based providers. Encourages: (1) crossing bridges to learn with and from each other; (2) crossing bridges to build a profession; and (3) building bridges between home and center-based providers. Recommends that professionalism be defined by commitment to high quality care and not…

Reviews caregiver cautions for child water play. Presents summer water play activities appropriate for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. (DLH)

Examined effects of the pubertal transition on behavior problems and its interaction with family and neighborhood circumstances in 10- to 12-year-old African Americans. Found that early-maturing youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to affiliate with deviant peers. Early-maturing youth experiencing harsh, inconsistent…

Discusses interviews with early childhood teachers to identify factors contributing to staff retention. Factors cited related to the challenge of the job and the children, teachers' recognition that children learned from them, administrative support, relationships with other staff, and the autonomy to make classroom decisions. Concludes with…

Four camp directors discuss how the September 11 tragedy and current world events will affect their camps. They describe how they are addressing safety concerns, working with parents, cooperating with outside agencies, hiring and screening international staff, and revising emergency plans. Camps must continue to offer community and support to…

Examines how caregiving, an aspect of attachment theory, can be applied in counseling. Begins with an overview of attachment theory, then focuses on counselor's position as caregiver, adult relationship issues, and termination of counseling. States that a counselor's attention to a client's attachment style during early sessions may enhance…

Quality child care is related to the number of adequately prepared practitioners. Unfortunately, workers subsidize the cost of quality by working for substandard wages, few benefits, and little recognition. The need for adequate compensation is the most critical issue facing the profession, and the cost should be shared by all members of society.…

Describes the interactions among 4-year olds engaged in outdoor play at a preschool, where overnight rains filled the center's sand area and students improvised activities in the wet sand. Notes how, during the discovery exercise, students worked together as teams. Concludes that the measure of quality in early childhood programs must not be…

Directors of 86 day care centers were surveyed to determine factors affecting the availability of day care services for preschool children with special health care needs. Barriers to admission included restrictive admittance requirements, lack of staff, fear of not meeting a child's needs, and lack of trained personnel. (Author/CR)

Considers the emergence of family-centered child care as a program model. Presents an historical overview of the family as a child-care component of quality and past efforts in parent education and parent involvement. Outlines a conceptual framework for family-centered child care, and discusses implications for public policy. (Author/KB)

Discusses why and how child care practitioners should emphasize process over product in early childhood settings. Uses painting as an example while outlining eight reasons for emphasizing process over product. Discusses how the process emphasis influences room arrangement, contact with parents, and how teachers approach children. (KB)

Examines connotations of "activities" within the early care and education context. Identifies problems with focusing on activities as the most important educational time, including ignoring quality of the environment, missing important learning during "down time," and being more occupied with activities than with children. Maintains that adopting…

Presents geography activities for 2- to 7-year-olds in child care and early education settings. Includes activities related to physical regions, regional changes, and traditions and culture. Activities are presented by age group and include suggestions for songs and ethnic foods to try. Asserts that geography instruction helps children observe and…