Congregations Caring for Children

What Can Your State or Community Do For Babies?

What Can Your State or Community Do For Babies?

What Can Your State or Community Do For Babies?

What Can Your State or Community Do For Babies?

What Can Your State or Community Do For Babies?

Joan Lombardi, former director of the federal Child Care Bureau and family and

child policy expert, has developed a dozen steps for using Child Care and Devel 

opment Block Grant (CCDBG) and other funds to ensure better infant care in

states and communities.  Your state now has its share of $100 million CCDBG

funds targeted for infants and toddlers as well as an additional $817 million in

CCDBG discretionary funds and an additional $200 million in CCDBG manda 

tory finds that can be used to improve and expand child care for infants and

toddlers.  Steps you can take include:

Creating Better Programs

1 Review licensing standards to ensure that all infant/toddler programs meet

the National Health and Safety Standards for Out of Home Care (AAP/

APHA).

2 Ensure that infant/toddler providers have specialized training and creden 

tials, and adequate compensation.

3 Promote higher reimbursement rates for infant/todder care and care that is

accredited.

4 Ensure that every infant and toddler in child care has up to date immuniza 

tions and a developmental screening.

5 Ensure that every infant/toddler program involves parents, promotes parent

education and family support services, and reflects cultures and languages of

the families served.

6 Expand the supply of quality care and ensure that all eligible children have

access to Early Head Start.

Providing Essential Supports

7 Launch a public awareness campaign to help parents understand how to

select and monitor the quality of care for their infants and toddlers.

8 Fund an infant/toddler specialist to work with providers and parents in

every Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.

9 Provide every infant/toddler program with access to health and mental

health consultants.

10 Ensure that all infant/toddler programs have training and support to include

children with special needs.

11 Create networks of support for family child care and kith and kin providers.

12 Ensure that all higher education institutions in the community have the

capacity to offer courses in infant/toddler care and supervision.

If your state or community has developed new infant and toddler initiatives that you

would like to share, please contact Joan Lombardi at jlombardi@aol.com

Obtained from the Children's Defense Fund Advocacy newsletter, January 2001.

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