Congregations Caring for Children

6. Infants are active, self motivated learners.  Each infant is born curious and

motivated to learn, and actively participates in learning each day.  Environments

and activities that keep motivation, experimentation, and curiosity alive must be

constructed to facilitate the infant learning process.

7. Infants are not all alike   they are individuals with unique temperaments.

Because of these differences, staff need to individualize and adapt to each child.

8. Language skills and habits develop early.  The development of language is

particularly crucial during the infant and toddler period.  Quality care provides

for many opportunities for infants to engage in meaningful, experienced based

communication with their caregivers, and have their communications acknowl 

edged and encouraged.

9. Environments are powerful.  Infants and toddlers are strongly influenced by

the environments and routines they experience each day.  This is particularly true

for very young infants who cannot move themselves from one environment to

another.  The physical environment, group size, daily schedules, lesson plans,

and caregiving routines must foster the establishment of small intimate groups in

which relationships with trusted caregivers can develop.

10.  Adults exhibit strong emotions when charged with the care of infants.

Parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers often experience heightened

emotions when they care for infants and toddlers.  Developing strategies for

dealing with conflicts that can emerge between parents and caregivers must be

considered part of the caregivers' role.

Adapted from Care About Quality, California Department of Education, Child Development

Division.

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