Early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings offer an opportunity to provide children with a solid beginning in all areas of their development. The quality and efficacy of these settings depend largely on the individuals within the ECCE workforce. Policy makers need a complete picture of ECCE teachers and caregivers in order to tackle the persistent challenges facing this workforce. The IOM and the National Research Council hosted a workshop to describe the ECCE workforce and outline its parameters. Speakers explored issues in defining and describing the workforce, the marketplace of ECCE, the effects of the workforce on children, the contextual factors that shape the workforce, and opportunities for strengthening ECCE as a profession.
Draws on recent research to address key issues in residential child care policy and practice in the UK, offering guidance for developing best practice and improved outcomes for children and young people.
Raise self-confident, self-reliant children using the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) Approach. Your baby knows more than you think. That's the heart of the principles and teachings of Magda Gerber, founder of RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers), and Educaring. Baby Knows Best is based on Gerber's belief in babies' natural abilities to develop at their own pace, without coaxing from helicoptering or hovering parents. The Educaring Approach helps parents see their infants as competent people with a growing ability to communicate, problem-solve, and self-soothe. Baby Knows Best is a comprehensive resource that shows parents how to respond to their babies' cues and signals; how to develop healthy sleep habits; why babies need uninterrupted playtime; and how to set clear, consistent limits. The result? More relaxed parents and more confident, self-reliant children.
Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers is a classic text for students and practitioners in the child care and protection field which summarises important current thinking on child development and applies it directly to practice. The book covers key issues such as resilience and vulnerability and the impact of protective or adverse environments. Different stages of development (infancy, school age and adolescence) are discussed, and attachment theory is used to offer insights into the impact of abuse and neglect on development. A key feature is the inclusion of case studies and activities to allow the reader to improve their understanding and reflect on good practice. This second edition is fully updated to reflect the new policy context and multi-disciplinary practice, and contains updated practice examples to take into account contemporary issues affecting children and young people. This book encourages practitioners to consider each child as an individual with unique circumstances, and links theory and practice in an imaginative and sympathetic way. It will be essential reading for all child care and protection workers.
Find out what it takes to be a childcare worker with character... Childcare workers do their jobs in: •Family homes; •Daycare centers; •Preschools; •The workers' own homes; and •After- and before-school programs. Taking care of children in these settings doesn't necessarily require a lot of experience—but it does require the right character. If you think you might want to be a childcare worker, you'll need... Respect for each child's individuality... The self-discipline and diligence to read the same story four times in a row... And plenty of responsibility and trustworthiness, so that parents will feel comfortable trusting their children to your care. Children are tomorrow's citizens. If you care for them with integrity, compassion, courage, and diligence, you'll be helping them to grow strong, healthy, and happy. You'll make a difference in their lives. Childcare workers have the power to touch the future! This volume of Careers with Character will show you how.
“I’ve totally washed away the dream of having one more child.” “I had never intended to be a stay-at-home-parent, but the cost of child care turned me into one.” “We had to pull our toddler out of his program because we couldn’t afford to have two kids in high-quality care.” These are not the voices of those down on their luck, but the voices of America’s middle class. The lack of affordable, available, high-quality childcare is a boulder on the backs of all but the most affluent. Millions of hard-working families are left gasping for air while the next generation misses out on a strong start. To date, we’ve been fighting this five-alarm fire with the policy equivalent of beach toy water buckets. It’s time for a bold investment in America’s families and America’s future. There’s only one viable solution: Childcare should be free.