CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Child Development

Child Development

Thesis Statement

While development of children is dependent on many factors, the attention children get from their parents throughout early stages of life determines their attitude and behavior moving forward.

Introduction

Early child care and education is defined as any care on a regular basis by someone other than a child's immediate family members. Infant and toddler care refers to this type of care for children from birth to age 3 years. This review first defines the topic of early child care and education and outlines the different settings in which care takes place. This is followed by an explanation of the importance of early care and education environments to child development outcomes. Finally, the effect of family contexts in early care and education as they relate to child development outcomes is presented. (Arnett, 2006)

Types of Early Child Care and Education

Three main types of early care and education exist for infant and toddler groups. These are in-home care, services in child care homes, and services in child care centers. In-home care refers to care when an individual comes into the family's home to provide care. Child care homes and centers are out-of-home services where children receive care in another individual's home or at a location other than someone's home, such as a child care facility.

Importance of Early Child Care and Education Environments

The impact of physical environments and subsequent early experiences on early brain development makes consideration of early care and education environments important. Given the primary importance of the family to early child development, child care has been found to make a unique contribution in the area of cognition. This unique contribution is moderated by three known variables: the amount of time children spend in care, the quality of care, and the type of care. Specifically, the incidence of problem behavior and minor illness is higher in children who spend more than 30 hours per week in care. (Arnett, 2006)

Models

Two important models of early child care and education exist that encompass both regulatory and process benchmarks for early care and education. The first is the Early Head Start program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, which is aimed at providing services to families with infants or toddlers living below the federal poverty level. The second is the military model of child care, instituted by the U.S. Department of Defense, aimed at providing early care and education services to military families.

The Early Head Start Program Model

The Early Head Start program model is built on a framework encompassing four cornerstones to ensure best practices in delivering services to infants and toddlers and their families. These cornerstones include child development, family development, community building, and staff development. Within the cornerstone of child development, which includes child care services, program design incorporates many objectives related to quality child care. Specifically incorporated are the objectives of positive child health and development, education and early childhood development, child health and safety, good nutrition, and ...