Professional Development Programs for Infant/Toddler Caregivers: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Learning.

DIMENSIONS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD Fall 2007 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. Professional development opportunities for those caring for infants and toddlers are often random, limited in number, and do not address the needs of the whole child. Most are focused on health and safety issues. Resources are available to promote high-quality professional development for infant/toddler caregivers, and the ingredients for the development and implementation of successful professional development systems for those caring for the youngest children are well known. Professional Development Programs for Infant/Toddler Caregivers: Setting the Stage for Lifelong Learning