Discusses the following issues pertaining to Mexican child care: history of child care in Mexico; prevalence of child care in the national system; other agencies providing child care and the nature of their services; extent to which working families use child care; circumstances requiring day care; licensing, accreditation, and quality standards;…

Offers practical solutions to three problems faced by administrators of early childhood education programs: motivating staff with different levels of commitment, dealing with staff communications and conflicts, and minimizing the impact of teacher turnover. (JPB)

Research Findings: This study examines child care centers that improved quality and sustained these improvements over time. Quality was assessed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scales (ECERS). Forty-three centers were visited three times over six years. Centers that substantially improved by Time 2 were not initially rated better than…

The childhood immunization schedule includes at least 17 scheduled immunizations prior to the age of 24 months. Immunization laws require childcare centers to maintain immunization records and enforce immunization standards for children who attend these centers. Childcare providers generally receive little formal education about infectious…

Children with life-threatening food allergies are increasing in number in Australia. A variety of foods such as dairy milk, peanut and tree nuts, fish and egg can cause severe allergic reactions in some children. The foods that cause allergies could trigger severe breathing difficulties (anaphylaxis) for these children and, if not treated…

In this qualitative study, multidimensional characteristics of the emerging leadership behavior of six young children were examined within their early childhood classrooms (infant, toddler, and preschool). Grounded in a constructivist framework, the data were gathered through teacher interviews and classroom observations in a University-affiliated…

Some business experts predict that a tight economy, intense competition, and demanding customers will become the norm for at least the next decade. To ride what may be rough waters in target markets, commitment to quality must go beyond a beautiful center, a recognized curriculum, and a well-trained staff. Willingness to take necessary action now…

In an attempt to better prepare young children for the challenges of kindergarten and first grade, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, in its 1998 landmark decision of "Abbott v. Burke" (Abbott V), required the State's poorest school districts to implement high quality, intensive preschool for all 3-and 4-year old children. To take…

The purpose of this study was to gather baseline information on the wages, benefits, length of employment and education levels of Arizona's early childhood education workforce. The study attempted to collect data from all early education employers, excluding home-based businesses, that are licensed by the Arizona State Department of Health…

The past quarter of a century has seen wide extension of the use of schoolhouses for social, recreational, and community purposes, providing fuller utilization of school buildings erected usually at heavy cost. Thirty-two States have definitely provided by law for such use, and in the other States school authorities permit it under their general…

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…

Asserts that child care workers must follow basic health and sanitary practices to minimize the chance of illness and promote good health. Highlights the following strategies: (1) monitoring staff health; (2) maintaining a healthy environment; (3) managing infections; and (4) reporting infectious illnesses. Specifically addresses pregnant staff,…

Discusses the collaborative efforts of educators, parents, the program coordinator, and a consultant in a bilingual child care setting in Montreal to find solutions to the poor fit between a preschool-age child's behavior, educator expectations, and the classroom setting. Includes discussion of the educators' strategies, the team approach, the…

In this study, the concept of "goodness-of-fit" between the child's temperament and the environment, introduced by Thomas and Chess [Temperament and Development, Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1977], is applied within the setting of center day care. Mothers and primary professional caregivers of 186 children, aged 6-30 months, participated in this…