The basic information family child care providers need to run a successful program in a warm, welcoming setting for children and their families

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

As more families shift to both parents working outside the home, the demand for high-quality child care continues to rise, creating ample opportunity for entrepreneurs like you. Now that you've identified the market need, what's next? How do you set up something as complicated as a child-care center? The Basics of Starting a Child-Care Business, the first book in The Business of Child Care series, walks readers through each step of planning, developing, and launching their own child-care business. Regardless of the scale--joining an established franchise, creating an on-site center at your office, or hosting a program in your home--entrepreneurial expert Marnie Forestieri, CDA, will guide you from start to finish: Understand the economics of the child-care business Write a comprehensive business plan Prepare a thorough financial plan Develop efficient operations for smooth day-to-day functioning Master marketing to promote your business to potential customers Provide excellent quality control and customer service

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.

This book is intended to be used by parents and caretakers of young children during periods of illness common to most youngsters. It is based on questions and concerns this author has heard during his 40 + years of community and academic experience in the practice of General Pediatrics in different geographic areas of the United States and Mexico. Concepts are presented in a brief and yet accurate language, allowing parents to reach a working understanding of common pediatric illnesses and conditions, thus improving their ability to assist their child in the recovery process.