Evidence suggests that the quantity of linguistic input experienced by infants in early childhood centres relates to the quality of educator-infant interactions. However, little is known about the linguistic properties of mutually responsive educator-infant interactions. This study uses sequence analyses to identify patterns of educator-infant…

Developing healthy eating habits in childhood may support future healthy food choices. With most children spending some time outside of the home, child care facilities have the opportunity to positively influence children's eating habits. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research regarding foods served in child care settings and…

While the importance of secure relationships between children and caregivers has been well established in the literature as an essential feature of healthy child development, the influence of animal-human relationships on healthy development and attachment is also beginning to gain attention. A burgeoning literature supports the developmental and…

Childcare centres in Norway, which serve children from 0 to 5 years, are obliged to prepare an annual plan and to involve children in the planning process. Based on a systematic Internet search carried out in 2015-2016, this article describes children's participation in annual plans through representations of their direct speech. Internet searches…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the care crisis in the United States to the fore. Unprecedented closures of child care programs throughout 2020 placed a disproportionate burden on families, and mothers in particular. For parents enrolled in college or considering postsecondary enrollment at the time of the pandemic, the loss of child care services…

Quality teacher-child interaction is considered one of the primary mechanisms through which educational experience fosters the development of children's competencies. Teachers' self-efficacy and beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices influence the quality of classroom interaction. However, the findings are mixed, and more research…

The literature strongly emphasises the importance of constructive relationships between parents and their children's caregivers. However, minimal empirical research has investigated relationships between language minority parents and caregivers in childcare. This large-scale study seeks to fill this gap by exploring the quality of the language…

This longitudinal multiple case study explores children's transitions within early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. In ECEC children typically transition from one group or center to another. This study explores how physical, social and philosophical discontinuities and continuities constitute these transitions. Five focus children's…

Early childhood educators play essential roles in providing stable and high-quality child care for young children and supporting their development and growth. As is also true nationwide, historically low wages in the District of Columbia have led to challenges in compensating and retaining qualified early childhood educators, and in turn, building…

Expulsion has been a well-documented practice in early learning centers throughout the United States. The present study attempted to describe expulsion practices in one state's community childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys from 161 childcare program administrators were analyzed and, overall, expulsion rates appeared to be lower…

Inhibitory control is a core executive function that develops during childhood and is measured with tasks that require the inhibition of a dominant response. The current study examined the diagnostic value of using response accuracy and latency in a simple inhibitory control test, the computerized Pointing-Stroop Task (cPST), for kindergarten…

The District of Columbia Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund provides large and sustainable wage supplements for early childhood educators working in child care. Synthesizing qualitative evidence from 11 key informants, including DC early childhood education leaders, advocates, and implementation partners; 39 parents and legal guardians of…

Child care and early education (CCEE) educators typically have low levels of compensation; limited opportunities for education, training, and professional development; inconsistent working conditions; and high levels of stress and burnout. There are also high rates of job turnover, which can strain remaining educators and decrease the quality of…

A recently launched professional development initiative in Arkansas, called Array, is designed to proactively identify early care and education (ECE) programs that could benefit from social-emotional-focused (SE-focused) professional development and support, and to offer assistance tailored to a program's particular needs. Because Array is…

Childcare providers are vanguards in identifying children at risk for mental health problems. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate the accuracy of childcare providers' nominations of children at risk for mental health problems against a well-established comparator, the Caregiver-Teacher Report Form. Findings from the present…