The National Quality Framework (NQF) was established in 2012 to create a more efficient and cohesive approach to regulating early childhood education and care, and outside school hours care in Australia. The NQF provides a shared vision for governments and the children's education and care sector, and an agreed tool for measuring and monitoring…

Early infant feeding practices are a critical part of education and care programs within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. With an increasing number of children attending ECEC services from a young age, adherence to best practice infant feeding will improve long-term health outcomes. This paper uses inductive and deductive…

As the field of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) continues to grow and professionals realize the value of reflective supervision/consultation (RS/C), the need for equitable access to quality RS/C expands. One way that providers of RS/C have increased access to RS/C is through virtual technology. The growth of virtual RS/C requires…

This publication presents the challenges and opportunities confronting early childhood development in vulnerable urban contexts, derived from specialised research by Arup and the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF). The data is clear: vulnerable urban areas such as refugee and informal settlements house a growing population in critical need, and…

This paper is based on qualitative research undertaken in West Nile Uganda and Coastal Kenya as part of a broader "development" project. A wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, parents, and early childhood practitioners were involved in sharing their perspectives of what life is like for young children (birth to age…

The Early Learning Guidelines: Nebraska's Birth to Five Learning and Development Standards (hereafter referred to as the Guidelines) is a resource to provide information about young children's learning and development. The Guidelines are intended to assist adults in planning and providing meaningful learning experiences and environments for…

This Report to Congress is required by Section 658L of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) as amended. The report provides information about the role of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) in improving access to high-quality child care in states, territories, and tribes. The data and analysis contained in this report are…

"Child Care Health Connections" is a bimonthly newsletter published by the California Childcare Health Program (CCHP), a community-based program of the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing, Department of Family Health Care Nursing. The goals of the newsletter are to promote and support a healthy and safe environment…

Describes the importance of early childhood education as a source of information about health and safety of young children. Discusses the significance of early childhood programs adopting an epidemiological approach to document this information. Outlines a five-step plan to conduct an epidemiological study, using examples from epidemiological…

Provides a checklist of safety features to look for when purchasing playground equipment or when evaluating the safety of existing equipment. The checklist covers playground surface, all equipment, slides, swings, climbing and stationary equipment, and equipment spacing. Also lists types of equipment to avoid and playground supervision tips. (TJQ)

Notes that infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to hazards around the home or child-care center. Explains how caregivers can protect children from the potential hazards of buckets and bathtubs; buttons, balloons, and bottle caps; stoves and heaters; firearms; stairs and stools; medicines, cleaners, and paint; cords; doors; and other…

This booklet outlines a comprehensive fire and burn injury prevention program which includes an instructor's manual, a videotape, and a test: the video provides additional information and examples of injury prevention techniques, and the test measures the amount of knowledge acquired. Following an introduction, the prevalence and extent of burn…

Despite abundant information on playground safety, National Recreation and Parks Association members still search for ways to handle playground problems. Since each playground is unique, there is no simple answer. The paper makes recommendations on how to begin and create a playground safety plan. (SM)

This study examined the extent to which states are adequately ensuring the health and safety of children who are cared for in informal care settings receiving public funds. Protections were analyzed for children receiving in-home care or family child care in settings that are legally exempt from state licensing or registration requirements. The…

Selecting a child care program for infants presents special challenges for parents. This brochure provides information for parents on: the importance of high quality caregiving for their infant's development; infants' abilities and needs for warm human contact; important caregiver characteristics; and the caregiver-family partnership. The brochure…