When people say that children grow up faster today, they are confusing appearance with reality. Children may be avid consumers of adult culture. They may adopt adult mannerisms and styles. They certainly get to grips with new technology far more easily than grown-ups. But when it comes to everyday freedoms--like walking to school alone, or meeting…

Based on a qualitative study of home care workers, this paper aims to understand elder abuse of Chinese Canadians. The findings show disrespect is the key form elder abuse takes in the Chinese community. As a culturally specific form of abuse, disrespect remains invisible under categories of elder abuse derived from a Western cultural perspective.…

Compared group and individual interviews to determine views of staff and 40 parents from four Scottish preschool centers. Found that parents' priorities for their children lie in the emotional and social domain and that they want a warm and homelike experience. Argues that staff should harness this parental "force" to resist pressures…

Describes the steps to increasing levels of teacher involvement in child advocacy. Steps range from "dreamer" with a vision of a better condition, to "volunteer" who gives time and energy without compensation, to "fighter" who uses conflict and dissension to achieve goals. Suggests that this simple continuum encourages teachers to become involved…

Examines perspectives of children's rights versus carers' values in formal caregiving, such as foster and residential care. Suggests that emphasis on values is overshadowed by focus on rights, and that performance is gaining importance over relationships between carers and children. Concludes that rights and values are distinguishable and that…

Discusses the statement "I just love children" and its inappropriateness in the context of working with children in child care settings. Stresses that such statements are sometimes indicators of inappropriate attitudes on the part of caregivers, such as exercising undue power, fostering dependency, patronizing, being amused by children,…

Reviews variables, measures, and studies associated with the child care quality perspectives of researchers and professionals, parents using care, child care staff, and children in care. Argues that given the preponderance of studies conducted from the professional/researcher perspective, more effort should be directed to studying child care…

Presents results of survey that gathered feedback from agency administrators who employ child- and youth-care workers on the development of the child- and youth-care profession. Describes ideas and sources of support of this emerging profession, and outlines several areas where individuals and associations interested in its development might…

Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 family child care providers of diverse race, ethnicity, immigrant status, and social class, this book explores the social, political, and economic forces and processes that draw women into the work of family child care. The articles dispel not only myths about why women choose to be family child care…

Identifies conceptual and methodological strengths of Hawley and Little's article and commends the pedagogical value of the approach taken. Notes that questions still unanswered concern the validity of adult caregiver perceptions of social dominance, the relationship between competition hierarchies and hierarchies based on directed agonism, and…

Discusses what parents in the 1990s need from child care and caregivers, including support, flexibility, and similarity in child-rearing attitudes. Suggests that caregivers keep these needs in mind--and strive to meet at least some of them--as a way to improve parent involvement in early childhood education. (HTH)

Reflects upon experiences with the First Nations' Partnerships and the European Commission Child Care Network to argue that efforts to understand quality care have been insufficiently sensitive to socioecological and cultural factors related to defining and assessing quality. Argues for a reconceptualization of early childhood care, and presents…

Focuses attention on the experiences and needs of substitute caregivers in early childhood child care programs. Personal experiences and insights of several substitute caregivers highlight the discussion. (BB)

A feeling of community may be at the heart of child care workers' satisfaction with their job. The director plays a vital role in creating an emotional climate in which staff can feel safe, nurtured, and challenged to grow. Creating a sense of community among staff can be done in much the same way as in the classroom. (EV)

This report presents information collected at a pre-conference roundtable on various aspects of mentoring programs which are seen as a potential solution to the staffing crisis in early childhood education. Part 1 defines the terms "mentoring" and "mentoring programs." It describes the nature of the relationship between mentors…