IMPROVED CHILD DEVELOPMENT
State Policy Options to Improve Delivery of Child Development Services: Strategies
from the Eight ABCD States: The Commonwealth Fund recently published this
report that describes how changes in policies can improve the delivery of child
development services. To learn more, go to:
http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=434687&#doc434687.
Community Care Licensing Division’s Child Care Update: This December, 2006
update includes new legislation and information on implementation by Licensing in
California. These 12 page updates are invaluable for family day care, centers and
advocates at
http://ccl.dss.cahwnet.gov/res/pdf/CCUpdate1206.pdf.
The following is link to the Community Care Licensing Child Care web page:
http://www.ccld.ca.gov/PG411.htm.
New Census Report on How Children Spend Their Time: “A Child's Day”: This
2003 report presents data collected by the US Census Bureau on child well-being,
including measures such as presence in nonrelative care, eating meals with parents,
reading habits, and television viewing. The report finds that children "living in
families below the poverty level, children whose parents have lower levels of educational
attainment, and children in families with single parents tend to have less daily
interaction with their parents, such as talking, being read to, or sharing daily
meals, than their counterparts in other situations.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2007pubs/p70-109.pdf.
California Releases Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Program Guidelines:
There is a new California Department of Education publication developed with a nonprofit
research entitled "Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Program Guidelines."
Designed for center-based and family child care programs to help enhance the well-being
of children three and under that are enrolled in early care and education programs,
the publication presents a comprehensive set of research-based information essential
to create and maintain quality group care and education. The new publication offers
guidelines to develop a relationship-based program. Included is a discussion about
meeting the needs of children with disabilities or other special needs, as well
as children from different cultural backgrounds. This system also includes high-quality
DVDs and publications in English and Spanish for professional development; availability
of free on-site training for center-based programs and small groups of family child
care and license-exempt providers; demonstration sites at several community colleges
in the state; and an observation assessment instrument called the Desired Results
Developmental Profile. To purchase a hard copy of Infant/Toddler Learning and Development
Program Guidelines for $19.95, please call 1-800-995-4099. Or you may download a
free copy at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/itguidelines.pdf.
Michigan Takes Innovative Approach to Early Learning Guidelines: Based on
New Zealand’s work in early childhood curriculum and theory, Te Whariki, the Michigan
State Board of Education recently approved innovative early learning guidelines
for infants and toddlers. In the early childhood context, Te Whariki refers to the
interwoven principles and strands that together form the wahriki or framework for
each child’s development and learning. Using this framework to spur new thinking,
Michigan’s early childhood community rejected their initial attempt at using a typical
framing approach based on developmental domains and began talking about weaving
and braiding: development is not linear but is interwoven, and early developments
contribute to later accomplishments. The result is a document with early learning
standards and quality program standards for infants and toddlers that align with
the state’s pre-kindergarten standards. For more, visit
www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ECSQ-IT_Final_180649_7.pdf.