This "Integrated Pest Management Toolkit for Early Care and Education Programs" presents practical information about using integrated pest management (IPM) to prevent and manage pest problems in early care and education programs. This curriculum will help people in early care and education programs learn how to keep pests out of early…

This booklet serves to help all child-care providers with valuable information such as (1) How children grow and develop, (2) Nutrients needed for growth and development, (3) Dietary Guidelines for Americans, (4) The USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children, and (3) Helping children learning about food and eating. The booklet also contains…

In response to the need for guidance, this manual provides assistance for faith-based communities as they decide whether licensed child care fits within their ministry. The manual covers steps for getting started, key factors in determining budget, performing a needs assessment in the community and for the facility, the administrative structure of…

Describes common mistakes to be avoided by child care directors in early childhood catalog purchasing. Notes roadblocks to successful purchases, including failing to check out seller's reliability, comparing prices without including shipping costs or considering product quality, failing to anticipate needs, ordering from outdated catalogs, failing…

Offers suggestions for resolving conflict between child care staff or between caregivers and parents. Suggestions include taking personal time, putting others first, being honest and up front, staying focused on being professional, letting go of selfishness, keeping quiet, listening, giving more than one takes, asking for a reprieve, and seeking…

Describes the change strategies involved in moving a mediocre child care program onto the road to excellence. Highlights strategies focusing on changing staff perceptions of themselves and their practices with families, obtaining honest observations of staff, visiting other programs for inservice training, examining educational practices in terms…

Urges child care programs to seek accreditation from NAEYC's National Academy of Early Childhood Programs to increase program quality and provides information on the validation process. Includes information on the validation visit and the validator's role and background. Offers suggestions for preparing the director, staff, children, and families…

This book investigates the innovative ways being used to ensure and finance high quality care for children. Chapter 1, "Introduction," discusses the government's role in helping to structure, build, and finance the system, as well as financing strategies. Chapter 2, "Financing Child Care Supply," addresses center-based child…

Maintains that the winter months are an ideal time to review and refine a child care center's marketing program. Highlights the following target areas for review: (1) marketing plan; (2) action plan; (3) center or company identity package; (4) center brochure; (5) photos; (6) web site; (7) advertisements; (8) publicity; (9) voice mail message;…

Distinguishes between training and coaching, asserting that the latter focuses on the staff person as learner. Offers strategies for staff development: clarify when one is supervising versus coaching, identify issues before developing strategies, ask questions that spring from genuine curiosity, offer detailed descriptions of teacher actions,…

Unpleasant as it sounds, how providers care for the business aspects of child care can be as vital as how children are cared for. When your business runs smoothly it allows staff to focus on the most important task of all -- providing the best care for children. "The Business of Child Care" supplies guidance for successfully completing the…

Offers tips for organizing the search for a child care center director. Suggestions cover: organizing a balanced, interested search committee; setting up preliminary meetings to determine desired qualifications for candidates; identifying the center's needs; writing and posting the position announcement; narrowing the pool of applicants; and…

Asserts that teachers at child care centers need to use supervision on the playground to promote children's healthy development. Describes characteristics of successful supervision: (1) ensure safety; (2) understand development; (3) permit childish behavior; (4) engage and explain; (5) recognize individuals; (6) vary activities; (7) interest…

Highlights issues related to the increase of non- traditional families and challenges child care directors to learn about these families. Guides directors in developing good relationships with parents, children, and their own staff and provides a list of sample questions to get information. Includes a 16-item bibliography for further information.…

Suggests that cost-benefit analysis can be a helpful tool for assessing difficult and complex problems in child care facilities. Defines cost-benefit analysis as an approach to determine the most economical way to manage a program, describes how to analyze costs and benefits through hypothetical scenarios, and discusses some of the problems…