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Introduction: The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides reimbursement for meals and snacks offered in participating centers and issues nutrition standards, including guidelines for feeding infants in childcare settings. Offering training to childcare providers participating in the CACFP is necessary to ensure compliance with nutrition standards in childcare settings. Methods: A State Department of Education and University Extension system collaborated to develop an online nutrition training course for childcare providers. Providers (n = 57) participated in the course on CACFP nutrition standards related to feeding infants (0–12 months of age). Thirty-two of 57 participants completed both pre- and post-training surveys that were used to assess changes in knowledge and confidence concerning infant feeding standards. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to assess differences in survey responses before and after the course. Results: Self-confidence and knowledge of providers related to infant feeding were significantly increased after completion of the training course (p < 0.001). More participants reported their sites were likely to respond to infants showing they were hungry or full than before the course (44.4% vs. 75.7%, respectively). Participant feedback indicated the online asynchronous course was convenient, useful, and topics were relevant to training needs. Discussion: The online course was feasible and effective for providing training on CACFP guidelines for childcare providers. Feedback from participants can be adapted and used for future training programs to further improve the course and delivery methods and efficiently reach a broad audience of childcare providers. Significance: What Is Already Known on This Subject?: The CACFP supports childcare providers by providing reimbursement, training, and other resources to promote healthy development of children. However, barriers like limited knowledge about meal pattern requirements and safe storage of breast milk/formula hinder infant feeding practices in childcare settings. Provider understanding of the content and practical application of CACFP guidelines is crucial for compliance. What Does This Study Add?: Childcare providers reported preference for asynchronous training over other models to accommodate flexible scheduling. This study demonstrated the efficacy and convenience of an asynchronous online course on CACFP infant feeding standards and this or a similar course may enhance provider knowledge and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child maltreatment is considered a pressing social question, compromising the present and future mental and physical health of one in four children in Europe. While children younger than three years of age are especially vulnerable, few screening instruments are available for the detection of risk in this age group. The purpose of this research was to develop a screening tool for childcare professionals working in public and private daycare settings to support them in the early identification and referral of infants and toddlers exposed to emotional and physical abuse and neglect by primary caregivers, to be used in different settings across four European countries: Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Hungary. Method: A stratified process was used to create the screening tool: We started by using Living lab methodology to co-create the screening tool with its final users, which was followed by testing the tool with a total of 120 childcare professionals from the four participating countries. Results: During the Living Lab phase, a screening tool with three layers was developed. The initial layer includes five "red flags" that signal particular concern and require immediate action. The second layer is a quick screener with twelve items focused on four areas: neglect of basic needs, delays in development, unusual behaviors, and interaction with caregivers. The third layer is an in-depth questionnaire that aids in formalizing a thorough observation of twenty-five items within the same four areas as the quick screener. After a one-day training session, 120 childcare professionals caring for children aged 0–3 from four countries assessed the screening tool and their overall training experience. Childcare professionals reported great satisfaction with the three-layered structure, which made the tool versatile, and agreed on its content, which was considered helpful in the daycare setting for the regular evaluation of the behavior of children and their primary caregivers, thus improving the early observation of change from the normal behavior of the infant or toddler. Conclusion: The three-layered screening tool was reported as feasible, practical, and with great content validity by childcare professionals working in four European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In residential childcare for youth who have been removed from the birth home as a result of childhood maltreatment, staff are working with after-effects of developmental trauma. Experiencing trauma and neglect at a young age is likely to lead to adaptive alterations in brain development, in part due to over- or under-activation of the body's stress response. As a result, care-experienced children and youth with trauma backgrounds are likely to experience various neurodevelopmental difficulties, including executive function problems. There is a gap in training provision related to executive function in the context of neurodevelopmental trauma and its implications for current behavior, affect and cognition. To conduct a feasibility and acceptability trial of an online training course for residential workers with care-experienced children, focusing on the impact of trauma on the development of executive function. The development of the training and an evaluation of its outcomes are described. Staff working in residential childcare across the UK were invited to participate in an online training and evaluation protocol. Participants completed measures of perceived and actual knowledge before and after training. Completion rates, outcomes data and evaluation feedback was used to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the training, Of 318 initial registrants, 47.7% completed the training and post-training measures. Significant learning gains were found, along with (p <.001, d = 1.08) positive feedback from participants. Technological constraints were the most significant limitation. An online neurodevelopmental trauma training is feasible and acceptable to residential childcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of "Watch Me!" developmental monitoring training on childcare providers' knowledge and attitudes related to monitoring developmental milestones and making recommended referrals when there is a concern about a child's development. Methods: A pretest–posttest design using web-based surveys was used to assess the impact of "Watch Me!" training on knowledge and attitudes related to conducting five key components of developmental monitoring (tracking development, recognizing delays, talking to parents about development, talking to parents about concerns, and making referrals). Variables included belief that developmental monitoring is important and is part of childcare provider role; perceived knowledge of, access to tools for, and prioritization of developmental monitoring; and ability to list recommended referrals when there is a concern. Results: Childcare providers demonstrated a significant pre-post increase in perceived knowledge and access to the tools to engage in five core components of developmental monitoring after completing "Watch Me!" training. There was also a significant pre-post increase in childcare providers' ability to list the child's doctor as an appropriate referral (39 pre–63% post), but not in the ability to list Part C/Part B programs as an appropriate referral (56 pre–58% post). Conclusions for Practice: "Watch Me!" training may be effective at impacting targeted areas of knowledge and attitude about developmental monitoring among childcare providers in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of an intervention in which childcare providers (CCPs) are coached to support toddlers' gesture use during every day classroom routines. Method: This study uses a multiple-baseline across strategies single-case experimental design to examine the impact of a coaching intervention on three CCPs' use of communication strategies with toddlers experiencing early childhood poverty. The CCPs were coached with a systematic framework called Setting the Stage, Observation and Opportunities to Embed, Problemsolving and Planning, Reflection and Review as they learned to implement three strategies to support toddlers' gesture use--modeling gestures with a short phrase, opportunities to gesture, and responding/expanding child gestures. CCPs were coached during book sharing and another classroom routine of their choice. Social validity data on the coaching approach and on the intervention strategies were gathered from postintervention interviews. Results: The visual analysis and nonoverlap of all pairs' effect size indicates that the coaching intervention had a functional relation with CCPs' use of modeling gestures and responding/expanding gestures during book sharing, play, and circle time. Social validity data indicate that CCPs found the coaching framework supportive of their learning and feelings of self-efficacy, and that the intervention strategies supported their toddlers' communication. Conclusions: The coaching framework was used to increase CCP strategy use during everyday classroom routines with toddlers. CCPs endorsed the coaching approach and the intervention strategies. This study adds to the literature supporting efforts to enhance children's earliest language learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the authors discuss the importance of human factors like decision-making, communication and situation awareness in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the daily services provided by child protection professionals. Topics include the importance of reflection-in-action in the development of professional services, and tips on how professionals can acquire knowledge and competence in non-technical skills.

Background: High rates of infant death associated with sleeping practices continue to persist in the United States. Infants spend a large portion of their day with child care and family child care learning home providers. Safe sleeping practices continue to be an area of need for care providers of young children. Method: The current study examines data drawn from a publicly available database of child care licensing reports in Georgia (n = 3,501), which contained data on child care centres and family child care learning homes. Information in the database included characteristics of the centres, year of data collection and the specific violations by child care provider type. Results: Results indicated clear differences in the prevalence of violations between child care centres and family child care learning homes. Within the overall sample, 13.3% of centres and family child care learning homes were cited for safe sleeping practice violations with higher prevalence in licensed child care centres and unaccredited centres. Violations were consistent with those commonly found in child care environments and inconsistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations. Conclusions: Data from the current study suggest a continued need for professional learning on safe sleep practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been established that the childcare centre (CCC) is a setting suitable for healthy weight promotion efforts. As the field advances, it is important to understand the barriers and facilitators to early childhood obesity prevention implementation and dissemination efforts from the CCC providers' perspective. This is especially true among those who serve low‐income and diverse populations to maximize scalability success. Methods: Focus groups were held in English or Spanish with CCC providers across six CCCs who implemented healthy caregivers–healthy children (HC2), an early childhood healthy weight promotion programme targeting 2‐ to 5‐year‐olds from low‐resource backgrounds. Centres represented both rural and urban environments. Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. A thematic analysis that combined a deductive and inductive approach was conducted. Codes were analysed using Dedoose to identify general themes and subthemes. Results: CCC providers stated that (a) children understood the nutritional benefits of healthy foods; (b) improved cognitive development as a result of HC2; (c) parents were barriers to HC2 implementation efforts, particularly in terms of cooperative healthy lifestyle efforts; and (d) modelling healthy eating and making healthy CCC environmental changes facilitated HC2 implementation. Overall, HC2 was well received by CCC teachers, and they shared creative classroom HC2 adaptions and improvements. Conclusions: CCC providers can provide valuable insight to guide early childhood healthy weight promotion programme dissemination and implementation efforts. Although they value the implementation of HC2 programme in their classroom settings, they perceive parents as somewhat obstructive. This information is critical to informing future healthy weight promotion efforts in this setting, especially among low‐resource families. It is important to continue to include the CCC provider viewpoint in future obesity prevention efforts to maximize scalability and sustainability efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Training courses on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are required to meet the needs of the increasing numbers of children attending schools and care centers with a diagnosis of this condition internationally. A 14-day active learning course was developed based on three self-contained workshops which took place nationally in Iran over a 6 month period. In all, 162 personnel attended the training course. Participants were more disposed to including children with ASD in centers and their knowledge had significantly improved at the 3-month follow-up. The course was fairly effective in meeting its aims, although greater emphasis needs to be placed on supporting staff 'on-the-job' to implement their learning; a role that local tutors could undertake when they present the course.Abbreviations: ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children) ISEO (Iranian Special Education Organization) ISWO (Iranian State Welfare Organization) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine contextual factors that may influence child care providers' motivators for attending nutrition-related training and their preferences and barriers to attending professional development training. Cross-sectional survey completed between January and April 2017. Licensed child care programs (n = 1,490) across urban and rural Nebraska. Child care center directors (n = 336) and family child care home providers (n = 1,154). Motivators, preferences, and barriers of child care providers for attending professional development. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Top motivators for attending nutrition-related training included meeting licensure requirements and improving job performance. Child care providers most commonly selected preferences for receiving training included in-person and online delivery. Top barriers to obtaining training were schedule conflicts, accessibility, and cost. Child care centers and participants in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment in Child Care (Go NAP SACC) were more likely to be motivated by licensure requirements. Rural providers were also more likely to report barriers such as inability to travel and limited access to training. Results revealed that child care type, geographic location, CACFP and Go NAP SACC participation can influence child care providers' motivators, preferences, and barriers to attending training. Results highlight the importance of offering professional development training that best fits child care providers' needs and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early childhood education (ECE) working environments often contribute to poor health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe healthy eating–related and physical activity–related awareness and adoption of behavior change of ECE providers after participating in a workplace wellness (WW) program and to explore facilitators and barriers to ECE provider participation in WW program. Methods : The WW program offered healthy eating and physical activity challenges to promote ECE provider health and well-being. Approximately 1,000 ECE providers in Colorado from 35 ECE settings were invited to participate. After the intervention, ECE providers completed two surveys: (a) a provider postsurvey and (b) a WW challenge survey. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to examine factors associated with percent agreement that participation in the WW program increased awareness and adoption of health behaviors. Findings : A total of 250 (25%) ECE providers participated in WW program from 2015 to 2017. After participation, approximately 84% of respondents agreed they were more aware of the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and of being physically active, while 81% reported eating more fruits and vegetables, and 80% reported being more physically active in the workplace. Logistic regression models found that the length of time teaching in ECE settings was positively and significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.00, 1.21]) with the odds of providers agreeing that participation in the WW program increased their awareness of health behaviors. Conclusion/Application to Practice : The design and implementation of WW programs that emphasize facilitators, such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as reduce barriers, such as time constraints and unachievable goal setting, may increase the awareness and adoptions of healthy eating–related and physical activity–related behaviors among ECE work settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the early signs of developmental disability is important for ensuring timely diagnosis and early intervention. Day-care workers may be in a prime position to notice potential developmental deviations, but it is unclear if they can accurately recognize subtle early signs of atypical development. Sixty day-care workers examined home-videos of very young children with fragile X syndrome and typically developing children. Results indicated that most day-care workers can distinguish typical and atypical development in general and might therefore have an important role in early identification. Special work experience and advanced pedagogical training appeared to boost day-care workers' sensitivity to detect atypical features in early development and to provide effective daily surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trauma-informed or trauma-responsive programing has spread across many service sectors including child welfare. However, only a few evaluations of such child welfare programs have been published. The current mixed methods study assessed a trauma-responsive child welfare program implemented within a private agency located in the Midwest region of the United States. The intervention combined specialized training, assessment, case planning, and case consultation into a trauma-responsive case management model. Quantitative data, gathered through a quasi-experimental design (N = 598), revealed that program participation was associated with improved permanency but not with enhanced child safety. Qualitative data, gathered from staff interviews (N = 10), helped to contextualize quantitative results, highlighting staff experiences and impressions of the program. Implications of results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Childhood obesity experts have identified licensed child care providers as a focus for prevention efforts. Since 2011, local public health agencies in Minnesota have provided training and support to child care providers to assist in implementation of weight-related policies and practices as part of Minnesota's Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP). Method. A representative sample of licensed child care centers and family home providers in Minnesota participated in a 2016 survey of policies and practices on child nutrition, infant feeding, and physical activity (n = 618, response rate = 38.5%). Results. In adjusted analyses, SHIP-participating providers were significantly more likely to implement child nutrition (prevalence ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14, 1.88]) and physical activity (PR = 1.64, 95% CI [1.26, 2.14]) policies and implemented approximately one additional best practice in child nutrition and infant feeding, respectively. SHIP participation was associated with best practices and policies among home-based providers and policies among centers. Conclusions. Child care providers who participated in SHIP implemented more best practices and policies on weight-related topics than providers who did not participate. Findings suggest that efforts by local public health agencies to support child care providers can be effective at increasing adherence to practices and policies that are likely to influence child behavior and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide recommendations for children's physical activity (PA) and nutrition practices. Community partnerships in school-based programs are recommended by the CDC to support children's opportunities to regularly engage in these practices. Purpose: Informing the role of Health Educators and community partners, the research purpose was to explore how to support early-learning providers' healthy eating and PA programs. Methods: Drawing upon interpretive description methodology, 13 Indiana early-learning providers participated in one-on-one interviews. Participants shared experiences of, and recommendations for, building school health partnerships and programs. Three areas for supporting programs were identified and recontextualized into guiding questions for practice. Results: Health Educators and community partners can support providers by developing or acquiring resources, such as examples of classroom PA delivery. They can contribute by providing program planning services, like co-developing PA programs with teachers and meal planning with staff. By creating networking opportunities, community partners can initiate online or in-person knowledge-sharing and mentor–mentee programs. Discussion: These findings inform how Health Educators and community partners can be involved in school-based health promotion by providing insight into partnership roles. Translation to Health Education Practice: The practical questions can be used to guide the development of collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children exposed to multiple adversities are at high risk of developing complex mental health and related problems, which are more likely to be met through integrated interprofessional working. Combining the expertise of different practitioners for interprofessional care is especially pertinent in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in the absence of specialist resources. The aim of this study was to work with practitioners who deliver care to vulnerable children in six LMIC (Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Brazil) to understand their perspectives on the content of an interprofessional training programme in building resilience for these children. Seventeen participants from different professional backgrounds, who were in contact with vulnerable children were interviewed. A thematic analytic framework was used. Four themes were identified, which were the benefits of a tiered approach to training, challenges and limitations, perceived impact, and recommendations for future training. The findings indicate the importance of co-ordinated policy, service, and training development in an interprofessional context to maximize resources; the need for cultural adaptation of skilled-based training and interventions; and the usefulness of new technologies to enhance accessibility and reduce costs in LMIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives To describe any rural–urban differences in child care providers' (1) past training on the facilitation of child healthy eating and physical activity and (2) views relevant to the design of trainings. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2016 Healthy Start, Healthy State survey of Minnesota child care providers (rural, n = 232; urban, n = 386). Licensed family home-based care providers and providers working at licensed centers responded online or by mail to measures of desired training content, barriers, and delivery mode preferences. Results Training barriers that were more often a concern for rural compared with urban providers included scheduling outside work hours, difficulties finding trainings, and travel (all P <.001). Rural and urban providers identified similar preferences with regard to training content and delivery. Conclusions and Implications The findings suggest it would be worthwhile for future research to examine whether rural providers' training participation is affected by uniquely relevant participation barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessing children's movement skill competence objectively is resource and time intensive. Family childcare providers (FCCPs) are with young children for most of a normal weekday and may have an understanding of their motor skill competence.Objective: This study examined how well FCCPs can report on preschoolers' motor skills.Method: Seventy-eight 3-5 year olds (53.1% girls) from 26 FCCPs participated. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed actual motor skill competence and a survey assessed preschoolers' motor competence as reported by FCCPs. Bivariate correlations examined associations between actual and FCCPs' proxy-report of preschoolers' motor skill competence. Regression models tested the predictive power of FCCPs' proxy-report on actual preschoolers' motor skill competence, accounting for age and sex.Results: There were moderate significant correlations for locomotion (r = .30), object control (r = .38), and overall motor skill competence (r = .36). The regression models showed proxy report was statistically associated with preschoolers' object control skills (β = .78, p = .011) and overall motor skills (β = .72, p = .022), but not locomotor skills (β = .52, p = .084). FCCPs' proxy-report of preschoolers' motor skill competence explained 20.9, and 20.1% of preschoolers' variance in object control, and overall motor skill competence, respectively after adjusting for biological sex and age (increasing).Conclusions: FCCPs may be used as an alternative source of information in reporting young children's actual motor skill competence, at least for the object control domain. There is an opportunity for education of FCCPs regarding children's locomotor skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development of staff consultation in the context of an innovative residential childcare pathway within a local authority in the United Kingdom. A preceding attempt to develop group consultations in residential homes has been expanded upon and enhanced as part of implementing a broader therapeutic residential service model. A wide-ranging training programme and consultations have been developed for residential childcare workers to introduce and embed therapeutic ideas. Systemic therapy and attachment theory ideas have been used explicitly through exploring with staff how these approaches can inform practice, and implicitly by providing a framework of consultation to inform and expand individual and team thinking. Promoting reflective practice through group consultations has highlighted complex challenges, stimulating opportunities as well as a need to consider multiple levels of context. Recommendations from this learning are discussed to help inform practice in new and existing residential services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss permeates the experience of being placed in residential child care, yet residential workers are rarely trained to work with young people who are grieving the loss of family and home. This article will provide an overview of psychodynamic theories of mourning, and will discuss how grief work can be facilitated for children and youth in residential child care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential child care is an inherently distressing and multi-layered endeavour undertaken by staff who are often poorly trained and supported. In addition, the children, and the adults who care for them, can provide a convenient receptacle for the split off negative feelings of professionals, politicians and the public. The complexity and difficulty of this work is often unrecognised and a simplistic response based on a programmatic, behavioural framework, reinforced by performance-based management and an audit culture, is common. This paper argues for the usefulness of a different approach, drawing on psychoanalytic and open systems thinking, to provide a more nuanced understanding of what is happening in these volatile settings that can guide interventions which match the complexity of the work. Alongside advocating the use of key psychoanalytic and systems concepts to improve understanding, it argues for the importance of providing a containing and reflective environment for staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses innovative ways to support family child care professionalization. It discusses research and education programs related to improving early childhood care for family child care providers and early childhood professionals. It discusses the creation of Town Square Illinois, an online learning community that includes resources on family child care, by Erikson Institute, Chicago, Illinois.

Background Little is known about the nature and reactions to sexual abuse of children with intellectual disability (ID). The aim was to fill this gap.Method Official reports of sexual abuse of children with ID in state care were examined (N = 128) and compared with children without ID (N = 48).Results Clear signs of penetration or genital touching by male (adolescent) peers or (step/foster)fathers were found in most ID reports. Victims often received residential care and disclosed themselves. Type of perpetrator seemed to affect the nature and reaction to the abuse. Cases of children with and without ID seemed to differ in location and reports to police.Conclusions Screening of (foster)homes seems crucial. Residential facilities should find a balance between independence of children and protection. Care providers should be trained in addressing sexual issues and sexual education, accounting for different types of perpetrators (peers/adults). Uniform reporting guidelines are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We evaluated the extent to which providing training and technical assistance to early childcare centre (ECC) directors, faculty and staff in the implementation of evidence-based nutrition strategies improved the nutrition contexts, policies and practices of ECC serving racially and ethnically diverse, low-income children in Broward County, Florida, USA. The nutrition strategies targeted snack and beverage policies and practices, consistent with Caring for Our Children National Standards.Design: We used the nutrition observation and document review portions of the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) instrument to observe ECC as part of a one-group pre-test/post-test evaluation design.Setting: ECC located within areas of high rates of poverty, diabetes, minority representation and unhealthy food index in Broward County, Florida, USA.Subjects: Eighteen ECC enrolled, mean 112·9 (sd 53·4) children aged 2-5 years; 12·3 (sd 7·2) staff members; and 10·2 (sd 4·6) children per staff member at each centre.Results: We found significant improvements in centres' overall nutrition contexts, as measured by total EPAO nutrition scores (P=0·01). ECC made specific significant gains within written nutrition policies (P=0·03) and nutrition training and education (P=0·01).Conclusions: Our findings support training ECC directors, faculty and staff in evidence-based nutrition strategies to improve the nutrition policies and practices of ECC serving racially and ethnically diverse children from low-income families. The intervention resulted in improvements in some nutrition policies and practices, but not others. There remains a need to further develop the evaluation base involving the effectiveness of policy and practice interventions within ECC serving children in high-need areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research exists on maternal preferences and decisions about child care, fathers are an underrepresented population in this literature. In an effort to fill this gap, this study examines the types of child care preferred, the level of involvement in the decision-making process, as well as the importance of certain characteristics of nonparental care in a sample of 130 fathers of children under the age of 6 years (6.2% of whom did not live with the child). Sixty-four percent of fathers in this sample indicated active involvement in making child care decisions with the child’s mother and 67% preferred parental care for their infants. Results for ratings, rankings, and conjoint analysis of the importance of certain characteristics of child care revealed slight variations depending on the method used to collect the data. Implications for these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was performed to develop an infection prevention education program for child care teachers and to verify its effects. Methods: The study was conducted using a nonequivalent control group with a pretest-posttest design. Four private daycare centers (2 centers per city) that were alike in terms of the number of children by age, number of child care teachers, and child care environment were chosen. Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=20) or control group (n=20). As a part of the program, visiting education (90 min) was provided in the 1st week, and smartphone application education (10 min) was provided thrice a week, in the 2nd and 3rd weeks. Results: Child care teachers' self-efficacy for infection prevention revealed a significant interaction effect between the group and time of measurement (F=21.62, p<.001). In terms of infection prevention behavior, a significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups (z=-5.36, p<.001). Conclusion: The program implemented in this study was effective in improving the infection prevention self-efficacy and infection prevention behavior of child care teachers. Thus, this program may be effective in enhancing their infection control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children and youth including those with impaired body function or structure, in under resourced areas, can be disadvantaged in terms of education and health care, and can experience social hardship. Within South Africa, personal, health and education support to individual children and their families in under-resourced areas is provided by care workers from the National Association of Child Care Workers. This organisation also provides training and support to their care workers to take on the role of Disability Facilitator, to extend their services to children with impaired body function or structure. This study established the views of Disability Facilitators about their work. Fourteen participants (aged 25–54 years) were individually interviewed at their own worksite. Two themes were identified from the data - Empowerment and Burden of responsibility. The theme of ‘Empowerment’ encapsulated how participants viewed disability more widely than as it relates to impaired body function and structure. Disability Facilitators empowered children and their families in a holistic way, and advocated within their community to address negative perceptions about disability. They supported the wellbeing and participation of children with disability within their local communities, and perceived their work as motivating and worthwhile. However, the second theme ‘Burden of responsibility’ encapsulated the challenges in feeling solely responsible for disability support in their community and in providing care and support for children living in dysfunctional families. They recommended all care workers receive training about disability issues to reduce the burden of responsibility on themselves. This study has demonstrated the worth of Disability Facilitators to address the challenges inherent in disabling environments. This approach to service provision offers useful insights that could be adapted into other countries and contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We evaluated an intervention combining policy training and technical assistance for childcare teachers with a nutrition education curriculum to improve (1) the knowledge and self-efficacy of childcare teachers in implementing obesity prevention policies and practices, (2) the quantity and quality of nutrition and physical activity education, and (3) the childcare wellness environment. Methods: Thirteen teachers and 8 administrators (2 of whom were also teachers) from 8 childcare programs in Clarke County, Georgia, participated in the Healthy Child Care Georgia intervention during June-October 2015. The intervention included (1) training and technical assistance on obesity prevention policies, systems, and practices and (2) direct education by teachers using the Eat Healthy, Be Active curriculum. We assessed changes in program wellness policy adoption and teacher knowledge and self-efficacy from pre- to post-intervention through self-report questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. Results: Teachers' knowledge scores (maximum score = 100) rose significantly from a mean (SD) pre-intervention of 67.1 (14.6) to post-intervention of 83.2 (14.3) ( P < .001). The mean score for "teaching nutrition and activity to children" (maximum score = 105) rose significantly from 86.9 (8.2) to 93.5 (5.2) ( P = .011) and for "modeling and supporting children" (maximum score = 63) from 55.8 (5.1) to 59.5 (4.5) ( P = .015). The mean (SD) scores for breastfeeding and infant feeding policy/practice adoption (maximum score = 6) increased significantly from 2.5 (1.8) to 3.7 (1.9) ( P = .043) and for nutrition education policy/practice adoption (maximum score = 4) from 2.0 (1.3) to 3.3 (1.4) ( P = .019). The combined approach enhanced classroom nutrition education and improved the adoption of best practices. Conclusion: Future studies should examine the effects of using a combined approach to promote nutrition and physical activity policies and practices in the early care and education setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Despite a high proportion of children enrolled in childcare in Vietnam, a childcare program has never been formally evaluated. • We evaluated the impact of a training program, on quality, provider stress and job satisfaction, and knowledge of milestones. • We found that training improved quality, pride and job satisfaction of providers, and provider knowledge about milestones. • Higher quality childcare centers were associated with improvements in children's early development. Access to high-quality childcare is essential to promote childrens' development; however, little is known about the quality of childcare they receive. The current study addresses this knowledge gap by evaluating a childcare training program, delivered by a non-government organization, OneSky, in Vietnam. OneSky trains providers who run Home Based Cares (HBCs), which are private, low-cost childcares. A controlled quasi-experimental evaluation design was employed in order to compare short- and medium-term outcomes of the training program on the quality of the HBCs and the competencies of the HBC providers. In addition, the association between childcare quality and the development of the children attending the HBCs was examined. Three cohorts of HBCs were enrolled, (1) HBCs who had completed training 12–15 months prior to evaluation (medium-term); (2) HBCs who had completed training 1–3 months prior to evaluation (short-term); and (3) HBCs who were waiting to be trained (the control arm). The study sample comprised 418 HBCs and 1646 children. Regression analyses showed that childcare training was associated with improvements in childcare quality (β = 0.97 , p < 0.001), and the impact of the training was maintained over time (β = 0.89 , p=<0.001). Childcare training was associated with provider knowledge about infant developmental milestones in the short-term (β = 0.42 , p = 0.001), and childcare provider job satisfaction in the short-term (β = 0.38 , p = 0.003) and medium-term (β = 0.43 , p = 0.013), but had no impact on childcare provider stress. Childcare quality was independently associated with benefits to young childrens' development (β = 0.11 , p=<0.001). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first formal evaluation of a childcare training program in Vietnam. Further research is needed to identify features of childcare implementation associated with high quality care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alignment between the philosophical values of Child and Youth Care and the methods we use in the delivery of our educational curriculum is critical. This article provides reflections and practical strategies for integrating relational practice into the classroom and nurturing reflective Child and Youth Care practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health® (Endorsement®) recognizes knowledge, skills, and reflective experiences that promote quality service when working with or on behalf of infants, toddlers, and families. Developed by the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health, the Endorsement is licensed for use in 27 states and Western Australia, providing critical support for the promotion of infant mental health (IMH) across disciplines and at multiple levels of service. This article examines how four states have used the Endorsement to increase services for infants, very young children, and their families, and to improve quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight and obesity are increasing in preschool children in the US. Policy, systems, and environmental change interventions in childcare settings can improve obesity-related behaviors. The aim of this study was to develop and pilot an intervention to train childcare providers to promote physical activity (PA) in childcare classrooms. An evidence scan, key informant (n=34) and focus group (n=20) interviews with childcare directors and staff, and environmental self-assessment of childcare facilities (n=22) informed the design of the training curriculum. Feedback from the interviews indicated that childcare providers believed in the importance of teaching children about PA and were supportive of training teachers to incorporate PA into classroom settings. The Promoting Physical Activity in Childcare Setting Curriculum was developed and training was implemented with 16 teachers. Participants reported a positive experience with the hands-on training and reported acquiring new knowledge that they intended to implement in their childcare settings. Our findings highlight the feasibility of working with childcare staff to develop PA training and curriculum. Next steps include evaluating the curriculum in additional childcare settings and childcare staff implementation of the curriculum to understand the effectiveness of the training on PA levels of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Children in the welfare system are prone to uncoordinated and unmonitored mental health care, including psychotropic medications. To address these issues, federal legislation mandated that state child welfare agencies improve the coordination and oversight of psychotropic medications. However, there is no clear guidance on how to improve these practices, particularly at the level of direct care. We aimed to identify specific areas for improvement through state-wide surveys of four groups. Methods We surveyed all known members of four groups working directly with children in foster care in one small northeastern state. Respondents included 209 foster and adoptive parents, 169 child welfare staff, 84 mental health therapists, and 33 clinical prescribers. Survey items addressed practices and perceptions related to sharing of information and cross-system communication and monitoring of medication effects and side effects. Results Nearly two in five foster and adoptive parents reported not regularly receiving information about the purpose or side effects of psychotropic medications, and they disagreed among themselves on who was primarily responsible for monitoring safety and effectiveness. One-third of child welfare staff and two-thirds of mental health therapists reported that information about psychotropic medications is not regularly shared with the child's provider team. Half of clinical prescribers reported not regularly communicating with child welfare staff. Conclusions We identified specific areas for improvement related to communication, sharing of information, monitoring, and role clarification. Strategies to improving these activities are key to ensuring the safe and effective use of psychotropic medications in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents findings from a quasi-experimental evaluation of quality with a sample of 28 family child care providers in the All Our Kin Family Child Care Network,, a staffed family child care network which offers a range of services including relationship-based intensive consultation, and 20 family child care providers who had no affiliation with All Our Kin.The All Our Kin Network providers had significantly higher scores on a measure of global quality and on a measure of adult-child interactions than the comparison group.The results suggest that network participation contributes to improved family child care quality and have implications for future quality improvement efforts. INSET: Learn More. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In debate on professionalisation of early childhood education and care professionals (ECEC professionals), the focus is increasingly turning to the ability of ECEC professionals to reflect on and evaluate their own pedagogical practice. Self-reflection is considered a core competence of professional pedagogical practice. So far, little research has been done on the potentials and challenges of self-reflection [Fukkink, R. G., & Tavecchio, L. W. C. (2010). Effects of Video Interaction Guidance on early childhood teachers.Teaching and Teacher Education,26(8), 1652–1659; Girolametto, L., Weitzman, E., & Greenberg, J. (2004). The effects of verbal support strategies on small-group peer interactions.Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 35, 254–268.]. The goal of this study is to gain insight into the self-reflection processes of ECEC professionals during video-stimulated recalls. The recalls show ECEC professionals viewing a picture book together with a child. These videotaped situations function as the stimulus and the object of the self-reflection process. The documentary method is used to reconstruct how subjects described their interactive behaviour, focussing on the strategies that ECEC professionals employed to support children's language development. The study also analyses how the subjects mastered the task of self-reflection. The ECEC professionals’ self-evaluations of their own behaviour were complement to external observations made with the help of a standardised instrument (referred to as DO-RESI; [Fried, L., & Briedigkeit, E. (2008).Sprachförderkompetenz. Selbst- und Teamqualifizierung für Erzieherinnen, Fachberatungen und Ausbilder. Berlin/Düsseldorf/Mannheim: Cornelsen]). The findings indicate how self-reflective conversations need to be conducted in order to enhance the professional development of ECEC professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a European comparison, the childcare profession in Germany has taken a distinct path of development which is closely interwoven with the history of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in general. Institutional choices critical to this path are the assignment of childcare as part of social welfare, the pursuit of a maternalist tradition in the care of young children, the privileged position of voluntary associations and the churches in the provision of day-care services, and the decentralised governance of the sector with main responsibilities assigned to the level of the 16 Bundesländer. This inheritance also has shaped the development of the ECEC profession and impeded a course of development similar to other countries. Only over the last decade have new dynamics emerged in the field. There has been an enormous expansion of ECEC provision and, interrelated with it, an intensive debate on professionalisation. Starting from the recent debates and developments, the article outlines the specific path of development of the childcare profession in Germany. In doing so, it takes a closer look at particular historical trajectories and critical junctures. A core question is whether the present strategies to enhance professionalism in the field of ECEC indicate either a modest modernisation or a radical change of traditional concepts of the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – Children who enter the care system in England and Wales are among some of the most vulnerable children in society, often presenting with high levels of need. Ensuring that the children's workforce has the skills and knowledge to meet the challenges of caring for this group of children has been at the forefront of policy agendas over the past two decades. This paper aims to report on an educational initiative to develop the capacity of residential childcare staff to work therapeutically with children. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the origins and nature of the Foundation Degree in Therapeutic Childcare and documents the reflections of tutors responsible for delivering the programme on their experiences. Comments from a small student sample are included to highlight the student perspective in studying for the Foundation Degree. Findings – The paper concludes that while some barriers exist in delivering the Foundation Degree to residential child care workers, programmes designed to develop knowledge and understanding of working therapeutically with children should be promoted. Originality/value – The paper highlights some of the issues and challenges associated with educating the children's workforce and reports back on one of the first Foundation Degrees in the UK focusing on residential and foster care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child and Youth Care [CYC] practitioners whose primary practice environment is supporting the education of Child and Youth Care practitioners met at World Conference in Newfoundland and Labrador June 2013. During a round table discussion they shared challenges and solutions from individual contexts that were validated as common across degree and diploma level and in various geographic contexts. It is clear that the complexity of preparing CYC practitioners within an educational environment requires strong advocacy skills, a grounding in CYC theory and practice, as well as a solid understanding of educational theory. The continued evolution of a pedagogical paradigm that supports CYC practice in this sector is essential for the continued development of the CYC profession -- and for quality service to youth and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We assessed the prevalence of regulatory noncompliance of licensed child care centers and identified factors associated with improved compliance. Methods. We analyzed 676 routine, unannounced reports of child care centers collected by the Connecticut Department of Public Health licensing specialists over a 2-year time period, included characteristics of centers, and created categories of regulations. Results. The sample included 41% of licensed child care centers. Of the 13 categories of regulations in the analyses, 7 categories (outdoor safety, indoor safety, indoor health, child and staff documentation, emergency preparedness, infant-toddler indoor health, and infant-toddler indoor safety) had regulations with center noncompliance greater than 10%. Playground hazard-free was the regulation with the highest frequency (48.4%) of noncompliance. Compliance with the regulation for 20 hours of continuing education per year for child care providers was the characteristic most frequently associated with regulations compliance. Conclusions. Efforts to support continuing education of child care providers are essential to improve and sustain healthy and safe early-care and education programs. Analyses of state child care licensing inspection reports provide valuable data and findings for strategic planning efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is a secondary analysis of a statewide sample of licensed family child care providers in the Tennessee Child Care Evaluation and Report Card Program (N = 1,145) that describes the general quality of family child care programs in the state and examines the relationships between provider education and global quality. Study findings suggest that state-sponsored, coordinated professional development linked to program quality standards is the strongest predictor of quality when compared to general educational level or higher education in early childhood. As many states are developing new professional development systems to improve child care quality, building infrastructures to support coordinated professional development is recommended to improve family child care quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increasingly, children spend much of their day in the care of adults other than their parents, such as child care providers. Consequently, it is important to analyze nonparental adults’ use of strategies suggested to foster language development, such as contingent responsiveness, during interactions with young children. This study examined child caregivers’ contingent responsiveness behaviors that followed toddlers’ communicative attempts within unstructured, semistructured, and structured daycare contexts. Child caregiver behaviors were coded as (a) no response (appropriate), (b) no response (inappropriate), (c) noncontingent response (appropriate), (d) noncontingent response (inappropriate), (e) contingent response and termination of the interaction (appropriate), (f) contingent response and termination of the interaction (inappropriate), and (g) contingent response leading to maintenance of the communicative interaction. Important similarities and differences in child caregivers’ contingent responsiveness behaviors for the three contexts suggest a need to prepare child caregivers to use strategies such as contingent responsiveness across contexts to facilitate language development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grandparents have become an important source of subsidized noncustodial child care provision as states have developed child care subsidy programs for working families. Based on a sample of 140 grandparents providing care in one state subsidy program, this article examines grandparent characteristics, caregiving patterns, experiences with care provision, and training and resource needs in this emerging public service context. Our findings indicate that grandparents provide care largely for altruistic reasons. They offer vital care during nontraditional work hours and are more receptive to training provision than often is understood. Based on study findings, several strategies are presented for supporting subsidized grandparent caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on the idea that a theory-practice divide exists and results in students making inadequate use of knowledge. The "matching principle" is identified as a possible remedy in this situation, so that students' experiences in the learning environment reflect aspects of child and youth care practice. The child and youth care educator's ability to use a relational approach and make therapeutic use of daily events experienced by students will contribute to their healing as human beings and to their development as child and youth care workers. Some strategies to meet identified needs of students are suggested in terms of aspects of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity within the Circle of Courage framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Findings:This study assessed public perceptions of child care and its providers in a Canadian province where government funding for child care includes subsidies and a voluntary accreditation process. In 2007–2008, 1,443 randomly selected adults in Alberta, Canada, completed a telephone survey. Individuals were eligible to participate if they had had interactions with a child younger than 14 years of age in the past 6 months. A total of 52% indicated that the government should cover about half of child care costs, and 72% indicated that child care providers at day care centers should have at least a college diploma. Between 80% and 90% indicated that child care providers were as central to children's development as elementary school teachers. One third of parents sought information on child development from child care providers. These parents were more likely to have children in care for more than 6 hr per week, have children younger than 6 years old, and be unmarried.Practice or Policy:The majority of Alberta adults were in favor of substantial public funding of child care. Adults who interacted with children valued the role of child care providers in supporting children's development, which may be encouraging news for providers. Because parents sought information about child development from child care providers, it is important to ensure that providers have both the training and the content expertise to provide parents with current information that will optimize development and support parents in their role. Policymakers, educators, and program planners may consider this information useful in allocating resources to promote child development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To compare the obesity related training, practices, and perceptions of home child care providers and center care providers. A self-administered survey was collected from child care providers who attended local child care training workshops in east central Illinois from March 2009 to August 2010. Study results were based on responses from 88 home care providers and 94 center providers. The survey questions addressed child care providers' training in the prior year, their obesity prevention practices including written policies, their perceptions of influences on children's health, and factors determining food menu selection. Paired t tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare the difference by child care type. 81.9% of home care providers and 58.6% of center care providers received nutrition training, while 66.7 and 43.0% of these providers received physical activity training, respectively. Nutrition content, guidelines or state regulations, and food availability were the most important factors that influenced both types of care providers' food service menus. Both care provider types perceived they have less influence on children's food preferences, eating habits, and weight status compared to the home environment. However, home care providers perceived a smaller discrepancy between the influences of child care and home environments compared to center care providers. Compared to center providers, home care providers were more likely to have had training, be involved with health promotion activities, and rate their influence higher on children's health behaviors. Findings underscore the need for obesity prevention efforts in both types of child care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent prevention research has established the efficacy of some child sexual abuse prevention programs targeting adults; however, less is known about the feasibility of implementing such programs. The current study examines the feasibility and acceptability of a child sexual abuse prevention program for child care professionals provided in two different formats: in person and Web based. The sample consisted of 188 child care professionals from a large-scale, multisite, randomized controlled trial. Findings indicate that both in-person and online training formats are feasible to implement and acceptable to professionals. When comparing formats, the in-person format was favored in terms of comfort level and likelihood of sharing information with others. These findings have significant implications for dissemination of child sexual abuse prevention programs for child care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective communication is necessary for good relationships between healthcare practitioners and clients. This study examined barriers and facilitators to implementing new communication skills. One hundred and ten Sure Start Children's Centre staff attended one of 13 follow-up workshops in Southampton, UK between May 2009 and February 2011 to reflect on the use of new skills following a training course in communication, reflection and problem-solving. Barriers and facilitators were assessed with an adapted Problematic Experiences of Therapy scale (PETS). Staff reported frequency of skill use, and described what made it more difficult or easier to use the skills. Complete data were available for 101 trainees. The PETS indicated that staff had confidence in using the skills, but felt that there were practical barriers to using them, such as lack of time. Skills were used less often when staff perceived parents not to be engaging with them (Spearman's correlation rs = −0.42, P < 0.001), when staff felt less confident to use the skills ( rs = −0.37, P < 0.001) and when there were more practical barriers ( rs = −0.37, P < 0.001). In support of findings from the PETS, content analysis of free text responses suggested that the main barrier was a perceived lack of time to implement new skills. Facilitators included seeing the benefits of using the skills, finding opportunities and having good relationships with parents. Understanding the range of barriers and facilitators to implementation is essential when developing training to facilitate ongoing support and sustain skill use. Special attention should be given to exploring trainees' perceptions of time, to be able to address this significant barrier to skill implementation. Staff training requires a multi-faceted approach to address the range of perceived barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study documents and analyzes the community structures supporting reintegration of the formerly abducted child mothers (FACM) within postconflict northern Uganda. A qualitative approach assesses the relevance and effectiveness of child protection structures created by different development agencies to enhance the reintegration of FACM and protect vulnerable children more broadly. Findings suggest that the efficacy of the community-based structures to support the reintegration efforts have been hampered by the creation of competing structures by the different nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and major development organizations, such as UNICEF. The limited community ownership of these structures and the inadequate psychosocial training of child protection workers are problematic in meeting the needs of FACM. Other constraining factors are the limited government role in supporting these child protection structures, the challenge of adapting the structures to the new postactive conflict development context, and limited outreach to FACM. These factors limit the prospects for supporting formerly abducted children and sustaining structures within the community once agencies and donor support is withdrawn. The key lesson for social work practice and social development in Africa is that effective interventions at supporting the reintegration of children affected by armed conflict need to consider the importance of indigenous institutions and structures within the implementation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teacher librarians can offer professional development, services, and programming to instructional leaders and care providers of young children; however, to optimize instruction, they should understand the general knowledge base of early care professionals. This study examined the literacy beliefs of the instructional leaders of child care facilities. Instructional leaders self-reported their beliefs through response to a survey that contained the Teacher Beliefs Questionnaire (Seefeldt, 2004). Results suggest that instructional leaders' beliefs are most consistent with research-based best literacy practice in the areas of book reading and writing and most contradictory in decoding knowledge. Additionally, care providers appear not to have a full understanding of the relationship between early vocabulary development and later reading ability. These findings point to areas which teacher librarians should target in offering professional development. Specifically, in read-aloud sessions librarians should model repeated readings, the use of expository text, facilitation of children's vocabulary development and incorporation of developmentally appropriate code-focused instruction into fun-filled, child-friendly activities and conversations. In co-planning and delivery of professional development, librarians can underscore the importance of vocabulary-building experiences and interactions and promote the reciprocal benefits of reading and writing development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]