1. Professional Development Programs for Infant/Toddler Caregivers: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Learning
- Author
-
Zwahr, Melissa D., Davis, Caroline F., Aviles, Jill, Buss, Kristen H., and Stine, Helen
- Abstract
Increasingly, infants and toddlers in the United States are being cared for outside of the home and/or by extended family (Capizzano & Adams, 2000). This social and demographic change has placed an unprecedented level of responsibility on people other than family--caregivers--to provide a nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment that will meet the essential needs of the youngest children and positively promote their development. However, only a small portion of infant/toddler care environments are of sufficient quality to adequately address and meet the needs of children from birth to 3 years. Caregiver training is a critical link in improving the quality of care. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the need for high-quality training and professional development opportunities specifically designed for caregivers of infants and toddlers. It challenges the early education field to raise the bar for the quality of care provided to children from birth to 3 years. (Contains 4 tables.)
- Published
- 2007