Quality Infant-Toddler Centers

Every young child has unique ways of communicating his or her needs. Babies develop trust and emotional security when their needs are met promptly in a positive, and caring manner. As a childcare provider, it

My experience connects to my understanding and knowledge of young children’s characteristics and needs, observing them carefully, analyzing and comparing their actions, perspectives, and thinking with the AZ Infant and Toddler development Guidelines, Dr. Brazelton developmental touchpoints, and from the Text of Child Development class.

Providing children with an environment that nurtures their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development is the framework that will promote children’s optimal learning and development. Gaining knowledge about the child will help a teacher to develop and create programs that are suitable for the age and the stages of children’s development. Applying developmentally appropriate practices will support the excellence in early childhood education because it is based off of the knowledge of knowing each child as an individual and how they develop.

This past week in my infants and toddlers class, we worked on chapters one and two from the text book. The first chapter was based on a discussion of principles, practices, and curriculum. During this topic, I learned that relationships between infants and caregivers that are primary established is built from respect, responsive, and reciprocal interactions.

First, the environment of childcare is based on psychology research.Understanding of the role of the quality of early child care requires consideration of the interplay among child care, family, workplace, and society, and it suggests directions for future research and practice too. As a preschool teacher, I appreciate the result from all psychology research because what researchers currently know about the role of the quality of early child care in children’s lives quality has been measured in a variety of ways across different studies and the research connect with the overview of Measures of child-care quality including the child:staff ratio (the number of children per teacher or provider), the group size (number of children in the setting), and the education and specialized training of teachers, providers, or

In today's society, early childhood education programs have become an almost expected first step in every child's life. Studies have shown that when children attend they children who attend a preschool program are exposed to numbers, letter, and shapes on a daily basis. They also begin to learn many life skills, like how to socialize, share and separate from their parents. These first steps of learning are so important that now forty states in the U.S. now offer state funded pre-k programs (Kanter, 2016). With some many different preschools and early childhood programs, how do parents know if the programs are being held to a certain standard? The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) is one comprehensive assessment tool available. Using this tool while quietly observing a preschool classroom, will help to define areas of strength as well as areas needing to be strengthened. The scale has thirty five different areas that are divided into six subscales, that will be observed. Each question is yes or no answer to a specific question and example.

Babies and young children’s development is closely tied to the quality of the relationships that they have with others and especially the key person within their early years settings. Usually babies and toddlers do no like to be separated from their parents or primary carer, and therefore it is important that babies and young children are supported by a key person in their setting who will act as a temporary substitute for the care, love and attention that is usually provided by the parent. When the key person system works well within a setting, both parents and children are able to feel comfortable and relaxed during their time apart.

Approximately 60 percent of U.S. children aged five and younger have spent time in a child care setting (Wohlgenant, et al). This number is increasing and the need for child care continues to be more and more demanding. The big question is whether daycare centers, home care faculties, or the stay-at-home mom the best choice for children? Overall daycare centers are more beneficial to children 's social, emotional, and educational development because of the center ' tighter guidelines. About 57 percent of children are in some type of child care based in a daycare center, while 23 percent were cared for at home by a relative of some sort, and 12 percent are in home care facilities (Davidson 671). Over half of children are in a daycare center, meaning that is the right choice for children when we can provide the right staff, education, social and emotional atmosphere.

For this journal, I will be discussing my sister’s experience with childcare. For her two children, now ages 6 and 8, child care was a necessity as both she and their father work full time. After my nephew was born, my sister placed him in the daycare center available where she worked, and later when he started preschool, he spent half days at an in-home daycare ran by one of my sister’s best friends. After my niece was born, my sister started out using the in-home daycare, so both children would be at one place, but she later enrolled her at an early childhood center that also had a preschool for her to attend when she was ready.

Along with knowing the purpose of quality daycare/child care facilities, the next important factor is to be aware of what generates a high quality daycare/child care facility. It is vital to know the characteristics because these prime objectives are the driving forces influenced by what children need in order to succeed and grow in their developmental skills. Fundamentally, “High quality [preschool] education can support early development in ways that yield long term social, cognitive and emotional benefits” (Barnett 2005, p1). The most essential aspect of a high quality facility are the trained, certified and attentive teachers hired to support children’s developmental needs. They ensure this by respectful interaction,

While there are some caregiver’s that are only in the human service field to earn a paycheck and with the lack of parental involvement in their child’s life, it can make a caregiver’s job more challenging. Daycare centers serve as a stepping stone for a child’s future that will teach them how to establish appropriate skills and aid in the development of their cognitive abilities. Positive child interactions not only aid in the development of social and cognitive development, but also in the child’s self-esteem and it lets them know they are important and loved.

The Early Childhood Education program at Carlow University focuses on educating children from birth to grade four in any context—school, family, or community. As a signature mark of the program, students learn how to honor diversity and form strong inclusive relationships between child and caregiver/teacher. They learn that a child’s environment needs to be rooted in trust; physically and psychologically safe. They learn that the caregiver/teacher relationship needs

During my observations in the different classrooms at “The childcare Center”, I learned about the proper environment, the fundamentals of the teachers lesson plans, their health and safety regulations, their approach to guidance and discipline, and overall quality childcare. The center has eight different levels of age groups; each of them has their own curriculum based on their age and developmental needs. This curriculum changes and has a new theme each month that helps the lead teachers to be able to start their lesson plans each week. From infants all the way to pre-K the lesson plans include fine motor, gross motor, art and sensory, math and manipulatives, music and movement, language including both signing and Spanish.

Child development is the foundation upon which early childhood practice is based. Because the psychomotor, socioemotional, cognitive, and linguistic developmental domains are inter-related, early childhood professionals in all types of programs (e.g., family child care homes, early childhood education centers) must comprehend both the processes of development and the adult’s role in supporting each child’s growth, development, and learning. (p. 1)

They learn to trust that their needs will be met, or that they will not. The emotional domain includes the infant’s perception of herself and of herself in relation to others.”(Blackboard, 2013). The most important thing a caregiver can do to help a toddler’s emotional development is to create a safe and loving environment for the toddler to learn in. Caregivers should understand that each toddler is different and has different needs. Attending to each individual child in a well-organized and inviting learning environment is essential during his stage early childhood development.