infants 49 beginnings workshop exchange · infant from exploring her immediate environment (levin,...

■What Infant Attachment Means for You by John Surr

■Reducing Infants’ Separation Anxiety with Family-FriendlyChild Care Practices by Mary Leighton

■Responding to the Challenge of Providing Continuity of Care inMulti-Age Classrooms by Kaitlyn Hunter

■A Case for Continuity of Care: The Teachers’ Perspectives by Karisa Davis and Melonie Collins

■Respectful Care is Only Fair: Guidelines for Respecting Infants in ECE by Toni Christie

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Infants

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INFANTS 49 MARCH/APRIL 2012 EXCHANGEBeginnings Workshop

PHOTOGRAPH BY BONNIE NEUGEBAUER

Special thanks to Kay Albrechtfor helping shape this Beginnings Workshop.

Copyright © Exchange Press, Inc. Reprinted with permission from Exchange magazine. All rights reserved. Visit us at www.ChildCareExchange.com or call (800) 221-2864.

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Beginnings Workshop 50 INFANTS www.ChildCareExchange.com EXCHANGEMARCH/APRIL2012

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You probably remember from your child development courses a lesson or two on John Bowlby’s theories (1969) about how an infant starts a love affair with her mother at birth. Bowlby’s theories have been strengthened by recent research that now emphasizes the importance of the attachment process to child development generally. Siegel (2010, pp. 3-4) describes infant attachment this way:

“We connect with each other through a give-and-take of signals that link us from the inside-out. This is the joy-filled way in which we come to share each others’ minds.”

We in child care play very important roles in building positive attachment outcomes. Although a child’s first attachment normally is with her mother, the same process happens with us as caregivers.

Attachment

Meet Jane, a typical baby. Shortly after her birth, Jane:

nGazed into her mother Mary’s eyes nWatched and understood the subtle but universal

changes in Mary’s facial expressionsnFelt, smelled, and tasted her familiar bodynListened intensely to the familiar tone of Mary’s voice nExpressed her pleasure with this experience with her

whole body.

Mary responded in kind, welcoming Jane into this life, and so they began a dance of attachment experiences together. Attachment scientists call these sessions ‘attunements,’ and the most intense and mutual parts of them ‘resonances.’

Jane and Mary repeated these sessions frequently as Jane grew:

nCommunicating without words, with increasing subtletynImitating playfully, and often musically, each other’s

moods, sounds, rhythms, and gesturesnSensing when the other was tired, distracted, or over-

stimulatednTailoring their responses quickly to the other’s reactionsnAttuning themselves to each other’s distinct personality,

so both were feeling ‘felt’nInevitably miscommunicating or interrupting each other,

the distress they caused was repaired the next time they were together.

Through these sessions, Jane’s brain built neural highways to pattern her responses to later experiences of a similar nature, all based on the nonverbal, unconscious attune-ments that happened during the attachment process with Mary. For instance, when the family dog barked at a passerby, Mary’s calm reaction calmed Jane as well, setting the stage for a child-dog friendship. With Mary as a safe base, Jane confidently explored her surroundings with a widening radius.

Attachment research shows that Jane and Mary each needed these sessions to satisfy their emotional and physi-cal needs and to help them both make a good recovery from birth and emerging lactation. Their secure and positive relationship, especially between 8 weeks and 16 months of age, paved many of the neural pathways in the fast-growing right hemisphere of Jane’s brain. This process gave Jane the means to regulate her emotions rather than being over-whelmed by them, permitting the integration of the whole brain and forming Jane’s templates on which she modeled her later relationships. Jane’s secure relationships gave her an advantage, in relation to children without secure attach-ments as infants, in her social and emotional relationships, her intellectual development, her compassion and helping behaviors, and her deeper relationships for the rest of her life (Schore, 2001; Siegel, 2010).

What Infant Attachment Means for YoubyJohnSurr

John Surr retired early from working as a lawyer for the International Monetary Fund, and has volunteered as a classroom aide in child care centers for the past 22 years. He also advocates for better public policies for young children and their families, and writes some research-based articles like this one. John’s experience with his three daughters, when young, convinced him to make his second career about helping young

children to thrive.


Beginnings Workshopwww.ChildCareExchange.com INFANTS 51 MARCH/APRIL2012EXCHANGE

Based on Mary’s warm welcome, Jane soon entered into a variety of attachment relationships with other members of her family and other early caregivers like us. In this process Jane developed an array of mental images of the minds, emotions, and bodies of her favorite people, adapting her attachment style to each caregiver. Jane used these experi-ences to develop her self-image based on how she was perceived by others, and to develop basic attitudes about life in general.

When Jane visited child care for the first time, she played with some toys in the strange room. Mary left the room, which distressed Jane. But when Mary returned, Jane showed her secure attachment through a happy reunion, then resumed playing with the toys.

In contrast, some children in this strange situation show the insecurity of their attachments when they:

ncan’t decide what to do when their parent returnsnavoid their parent, present or absentncling to the parent without paying attention to the toys nact in a disoriented manner.

Insecure attachment can result from a chaotic environment, from a parent who is depressed or neglectful, from a parent who tries to harness the child to her own ambitions without respecting the child or responding to her nonverbal cues, or from an abusive situation. In each of these cases the child has to focus on the next perceived external threat rather than on her own growth, and she lacks the intimate relation-ship that helps her program the connections between her emotions and her thoughts (Siegel, 2010).

If, in infancy, a child doesn’t get the necessary building blocks of brain development through secure attachment, remedial work is needed later to build emotional self- regulation, a healthy self-concept, and an aptitude for positive relationships. Adult psychotherapy tries to create the atmosphere of emotional attunement that simulates a secure attachment relationship for those with insecure early attachments (Siegel, 2010). So attachment never ends.

What You Can Do

Best attachment practices for parents and providers: As a primary caregiver, you can enhance attachment with an infant by providing:

nAn emotional sensitivity and responsiveness to the infant and her nonverbal emotional signals (such as facial expression and other body language) (Honig, 2010).

Infants, toddlers, and young children rely far more on your facial expression and tone of voice than they do on words (Schore, 2001). When Jane looks you in the eye, she needs your warm return gaze. However, when she turns her head away or arches her back, she needs less intensive contact.

nAn unhurried attitude toward time spent with the infant, to enhance your mutual focus (Zero to Three, 1992). Jane needs the relationship to develop at her pace.

nA continuing appreciation for the separate, emerging temperament and personality of the infant (Honig, 2010). Sometimes that temperament can make it difficult for you to find attunement, as when the infant does not respond easily to emotional cues (Velderman et al., 2006), but your persistence and a respectful approach will help the infant learn to resonate with you. Jane has a different emotional approach to life than you do, so both of you need to adapt your approaches to create a meet-ing place somewhere in between.

nA reassuring, soothing, calm, playful, and positive view-point on shared events and emotions, including your imitation of the infant’s movements and expressions (Mills-Koonce et al., 2007). Jane needs to feel felt by you as a distinct person, and reciprocal imitation is a good way to begin. Your warm welcome and calming reactions will soothe her and build trust.

nSome simple, rhythmic songs and dances, as well as playful games and joking surprises (Trevarthen, 2010). Jane needs to hear happy and rhythmic sounds coming from you so that she can resonate with them.

nAvoidance of intrusive modern electronic technology when around the infant. Televisions, computers, audio devices, video games, and telephone or texting conver-sations distract both you and the infant from your impor-tant work in being with each other, and they keep the infant from exploring her immediate environment (Levin, 1998). Interruptions and distractions can get between Jane and you when you need to focus on each other most.

nMaintenance of physical contact with the infant (includ-ing during feeding and carrying the infant in a sling whenever possible), particularly during the ‘fourth trimester’ following birth, to ease the transition to life outside the womb. Co-sleeping promotes lactation and minimizes disruptions (McKenna, 2010). Jane often needs your loving touch.

nConsultations when needed with parents, colleagues, family resource centers, mentors, and websites (see Resources). There’s plenty of help out there for you in securely attaching to Jane, if you have the courage to ask.


As an infant-toddler caregiver:It’s not just your job; it’s a love relationship with each baby in your care. When an infant comes to you, your greatest gift to her would be a secure attachment, especially if it’s lacking at home:

nProvide the infant a warm welcome and safe base for exploration.

nMake an easy transition into care for the infant and parent by making them both feel comfortable and at home.

nLearn what you can from the infant’s mother, who is the foremost expert on this child. Draw out the mother’s insight into how her baby shows his needs, his feelings, his pleasure, and how she helps him understand life.

nTake care with parents’ feelings by gently bringing to their attention the baby’s emotional signals and personality, and offering other practical advice as the occasion arises naturally.

nKeep the mother and her baby with you long enough at the outset so that they begin to feel that you are a team, working together for the infant’s benefit. This gradual transition will have benefits all around.

nWhen appropriate, share the ‘best practices’ list above with the parents, along with any other practical infant care resources they seem to want or need, including useful websites (see Resources).

As a preschool teacher:Even though the critical period for infant attachment has passed, all the children in your class still need your emotional availability and sensitivity to their nonverbal communications:

nIntroduce attachment activities into the preschool class-room, such as playful, homemade music and dance or your imitations of each other’s gestures and faces.

nOffer your observations about a child’s emotional state, based on his facial expression and posture.

nHug or hold children seeking your comfort and security.

As a center director:As the center’s leader, your relationships with children, staff, and parents are likely to be regarded as models for their own attachments:

nFacilitate an infant’s gradual and easy transition into your center’s care by temporarily reducing the other workload of the new child’s primary caregiver, if possible.

nChoose infant teachers based on their rapport with infants and parents.

nIf a teacher is not connecting at a deep level with the infants in her care, reassign her to older children.

nAssign each infant to the fewest possible adult caregivers, to ease the infant’s work on attachment.nKeep paired infants and teachers working together as

long as possible while the child grows (Zero to Three, 1992).

You will be teachers’ and parents’ main source of authentic advice on attachment issues. Without a secure attachment, a child is likely to become a source of disruption and un-happiness. You can help teachers and parents to focus on children’s emotional self-regulation. Relationships with peers have a major influence on preschoolers’ development and social referencing, so you can help to build a critical mass of secure attachments in your center.

There are many sources of help in your community and through the Internet, if you need advice in this area. Many states have found that hiring early childhood mental health counselors for their programs is a money-saving way to prevent the emergence of special education problems, because counseling tends to prevent expulsion from child care or the social isolation of potential bullies. The Center for Social and Emotional Forms of Learning (CSEFL) (2011), has a good curriculum for teaching emotional and social skills. Some of the other resources cited may also be helpful.

As a citizen:Some measures of public policy, education, and cultural change can be advocated to enhance the early attachment process:

nMore time for mothers of newborns to become securely attached. Publicly financed and encouraged paid mater-nal leave policies, now lacking in the United States and Australia, would help significantly (Hair et al., 2006).

nMore attention to the attachment process in parenting education classes. Velderman et al. (2006) found that video training to increase maternal sensitivity and improve infant attachments, tailored to low-, medium- and high-risk groups, improved maternal sensitivity and the likelihood that their children would become securely attached.

nMore education and continuing training in the attach-ment process for child care professionals, as well as for pediatricians, their staff, and home visitors.

nMore public and non-profit facilities to counsel parents and other caregivers on appropriate attachment practices.

The take-home message here is that infant attachment really matters to early childhood professionals, and that we


can make significant contributions to improving the security of those attachments.

References

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss I: Attachment. New York. Basic

Books.

Center for Social and Emotional Forms of Learning (CSEFL). (2011).

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/ (Accessed 1/31/12).

Hair, E. C., McPhee, C. B., Milot, A. S., Halle, T., & Moore, K. A. (2006).

Early return to work, long hours, and maternal depression: Lessons

from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort 2001. [Paper

presented at APPAM Fall Conf., November 2, 2006.] www.childtrends.

org/.../Child_Trends-2006_11_02_SP_MaternalDepression/

(Accessed 1/31/12)

Honig, A. (2010, September). Keys to quality infant care: Nurturing

every baby’s life journey. Young Children, 65(5), 40-47.

Levin, D. (1998). Remote control childhood? Combating the hazards of

media culture. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

McKenna, J. J. (2010). Mothers, fathers, infants, and allo-parents in

evolutionary perspective: Revising the conceptual relevance of the envi-

ronment of evolutionary adaptedness. [Presentation at Symposium

Addressing the “Environment of Evolutionary Adaptedness”] in Narvaez,

D., Panskepp, J., Schore, A., & Gleason, T. (Eds.), (in press), Human

Nature, Early Experience and the Environment of Evolutionary

Adaptedness. New York: Oxford University Press. http://ccf.nd.edu/

assets/32671/mckennaparti.pdf and http://ccf.nd.edu/

assets/32673/mckennapartii.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Mills-Koonce, W. R., Gariepy, J. L., Propper, C., Sutton, K., Calkins, B.,

Moore, G., & Cox, M. (2007). Infant and parent factors associated with

early maternal sensitivity: A caregiver-attachment systems approach.

Infant Behavior & Development, 30, 114-126. www.durhamchildstudy.

org/publications/infantbehanddev.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Schore, A. N. (2001). Effects of a secure attachment relationship on

right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health.

Infant Mental Health Journal, 22(1-2), 7-66. http://allanschore.com/

pdf/SchoreIMHJAttachment.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Siegel, D. J. (2010). Mindsight: The new science of personal transfor-

mation. New York: Bantam Books.

Trevarthen, C. (2010, October). Ready to share experience from birth.

[Presentation at Symposium, Addressing the “Environment of Evolution-

ary Adaptedness”,] in Narvaez, D., Panskepp, J., Schore, A., & Gleason,

T. (Eds.), (in press), Human Nature, Early Experience and the Environ-

ment of Evolutionary Adaptedness. New York: Oxford U. Press

http://ccf.nd.edu/assets/33598/trevarthenparti.pdf and http://ccf.

nd.edu/assets/33599/trevarthenpartii.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Velderman, M. K., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., Juffer, F., & van IJzen-

doorn, M. H. (2006, May). Effects of attachment-based interventions on

maternal sensitivity and infant attachment: differential susceptibility of

highly reactive infants, Journal of Family Psychology, 20(2), 266-274.

http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/hennesda/temperament/temperament

and reactive infants.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Zero to Three. (1992). Heart Start: The emotional foundations of school

readiness. Washington, DC: Zero to Three, pp. 17-19. www.eric.ed.gov/

PDFS/ED352171.pdf (Accessed 1/31/12).

Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics, Healthy Children:

www.healthychildren.org/english/ages-stages/baby/Pages/default.aspx

Attachment Parenting International: www.attachmentparenting.org

Center for Social and Emotional Forms of Learning (CSEFL) (2011):

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Healthy Beginnings:

www.marylandhealthybeginnings.org/

Zero to Three, Early Childhood Mental Health:

www.zerotothree.org/child-development/early-childhood-mental-health

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All babies need nurturing and responsive people to care for them, to keep them safe, and to support their developmen-tal needs. Infants are able to form secure attachments when their early relationships are nurturing, responsive, individualized, and predictable. This ability to form attach-ments prepares them to create healthy relationships in the future and facilitates life-long learning.

Attachment

Infants learn about the world and themselves from their primary influence, their parents. The pattern of parent-infant interactions creates a connection or ‘attachment’ between infant and parent that allows the infant to feel safe and to develop the confidence to explore and learn. A secure attachment in the first year of life is essential for infants’ early brain development and has a positive effect on infants’ social, emotional, and cognitive growth.

The U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2008 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009) reports that 58% of mothers of children under the age of one are in the work-force. When parents work outside the home, the number of people who provide care for an infant increases. These additional caregivers also influence the development, behavior, and actions of infants. For parents who work outside the home, the decision to place their infant in child care is not easy. The transition can be difficult, making tearful transitions a new and upsetting part of life. Just when parents and infants are getting to know each other, there are new people and situations that produce uncertainty and stress.

Separation Anxiety

By six months of age infants have become attached to the people who regularly care for them. At this developmental

stage, infants may develop ‘separation anxiety,’ and get upset when parents leave. Though separation anxiety is a perfectly normal part of child development, it can be upset-ting to everyone. Amy Osterman, Early Head Start Program Manager at Children’s Home Society of Washington’s Walla Walla location says:

“We see a lot of children who have never been with a baby-sitter much less in a child care setting. . . . Separation anxiety is a good thing. It means your child is attached. With some simple strategies put in place, this experience can be lessened considerably for the child, parent, and child care worker.”

Object Permanence

To help parents and caregivers respond effectively to infants’ separation anxiety, it is useful to look at separation from an infant’s point of view. At the most fundamental level, infants instinctively understand that being separated from their parents means danger, so it is instinctive for them to stay near these protective adults. As infants’ sense of security is becoming established, new developmental milestones are being reached. Memory is developing, which results in ‘object permanence.’ Infants begin to notice that objects do not disappear when they are out of sight, but might be hidden under or behind things. This new under-standing makes it hard when parents or other important people leave. Infants learn that people do not ‘disappear,’ but they do not yet understand they will return. This is very upsetting for them.

When infants are distressed, they may have sleeping and eating problems, periods of crying and agitation, or quiet unhappiness that looks like depression or sadness. Their behavior can include crying and agitation when parents return — an expression of distress at having been sepa-rated. Upon their parents’ return, infants may cry, cling to their parents, or even ignore them and resist going with them when they return. All adults who provide care for an infant need to have empathy for this distress and accept these feelings and behaviors with understanding and gentle reassurance.

Reducing Infants’ Separation Anxiety withFamily-Friendly Child Care PracticesbyMaryLeighton

Mary Leighton has served as a program developer, manager, trainer, and consultant for Washington’s largest non-profit serving children and families, Children’s Home Society of Washington, for over 10 years. She is a licensed mental health xounselor and has over 25 years’ experience in the fields of early learning and mental health. She has worked with children in a variety of community settings including schools, hospitals, the court system, and

other community organizations, and is the principal author of the PlayBright® Early Learning System, a comprehensive curriculum for children ages birth to five years.



During the separation anxiety stage of infant development, parents may be happy to learn that their baby is securely attached to them, but they also may feel guilty about going to work and leaving their baby. Eventually, infants will develop the ability to remember that their parents always return and the coping skills that allow greater indepen-dence. It is, of course, hard for the parent to leave an infant who is upset, so it is important for parents to have confi-dence that the caregiver understands the child’s feelings and knows what to do. Amy works with parents at her center to smooth the transition:

“During the first day of drop-off, the parent stays for about an hour to ease the stress of leaving for the infant. On the second day, the parent stays for a shorter period of time, and the third day even less. This shows the infant that her parent is always going to return, and helps both the parent and infant ease the stress of separation.”

Family-Friendly Child Care

Family-friendly child care builds a culture of strong support for parents with an emphasis on parent connection and participation. It is critical that parents and caregivers work together to resolve separation anxiety and other issues that may arise. Working together as a team helps parents and caregivers create a supportive environment with the caregiver’s secure attachment with an infant complement-ing the parent-infant relationship and ensuring early learning and social development.

Essential elements of the framework for developing family-friendly child care and reducing separation anxiety include respect, caring, diversity, teamwork, communication, and education.

Respect

While we create strong, positive, respectful relationships with parents, caregivers recognize that parents are the child’s most important teachers with whom the bond is the strongest. Caregivers listen, support, and work with parents as they share the care of an infant. Caregivers also respect that parents experience separation anxiety when leaving their infant. At Children’s Home Society of Washington’s Early Learning Center in Des Moines, Washington, parents spend extra time onsite interacting with their babies, as well as other children. They talk with caregivers and learn how their child is progressing developmentally. Parents see themselves as active members of the child care community.

Caring

To establish a caring environment for parents and infants, family-friendly caregivers are welcoming and invite family members to ask questions and explore child care settings. They explain activities and routines and show compassion and empathy for the infant and the parents. Caregivers also establish long-term relationships with infants by learning each infant’s cues and unique characteristics. This allows for flexible schedules; infants sleep and eat based on their individual needs. Caregivers create safety and trust with consistent, gentle, responsive, and developmentally-appro-priate interactions. Young infants have quiet places to play, have tummy time, and are held. Mobile infants have soft places to sit and an open area on the floor to move. Play opportunities are provided, with time to be on the floor, to explore a variety of toys and materials, and to play with the caregiver, alone, and near other children. Amy explains:

“We try to accommodate the favorite activity of a child. This also helps during drop-off when we are able to redirect the child’s attention to an activity he enjoys, as opposed to his parent leaving.”

Caregivers are also caring and supportive of family needs. They ask questions about family circumstances and encour-age parents to share relevant information. They respond to family needs and provide referrals to resources.

Diversity

Family-friendly caregivers embrace diverse families and cultures and respect the goals and values families have for their children. Childcare is in harmony with what happens at home and, whenever possible, follows the important elements of family values, childrearing practices, and language. At Children’s Home Society of Washington’s Green River Child Development Center, staff use “survival words” to communicate with children who do not speak English. Caregivers learn a few basic words in the infant’s native language. Words like “bathroom,” “snack,” and “book” are spoken in Spanish, Mandarin, and Turkish, for example. This simple act acknowledges the family’s culture and creates a bond between the infant and caregiver.

Teamwork

Strong relationships between caregivers and parents pro-mote parents’ attachment to their infants. A healthy parent-caregiver relationship builds trust and allows for the sharing of information about the infant between the home and the child care setting, which promotes individualized care and consistency. Infants who know what to expect in both set-


tings are more comfortable and experience less distress. Abok Ajaero, Site Supervisor for Children’s Home Society of Washington’s Early Learning Center in Des Moines, says:

“If an infant senses a healthy relationship between her parent and caregiver, she feels a sense of safety and acceptance in the child care setting. Drop-off becomes easier when the whole family sees child care as a home away from home.”

Communication

Regular communication between caregivers and parents is essential. Friendly greetings, conversations, written notes, emails, phone calls, and sharing photos are all means of ensuring consistent communication about the development of the infant. Caregivers are approachable and encourage parents to talk about their infant and what is happening in their lives. Caregivers ask parents for information about the infant’s cues, routines, and individual characteristics. Parents may identify ways a child likes to be held or fed, how they put their child to sleep, or share a song that they use for comfort. They share activities and experiences the baby has at home to help plan daily activities.

At pick-up time, staff at the Green River Child Development Center often give ‘celebratory talks’ to the parent. These conversations share “strengths and achievements about the child’s activities that day,” says Rebekkah Gondor, Parent Educator. This keeps parents up-to-date on the skills the child is working on and how parents can support these at home.

Education

Caregivers help parents learn about child development and developmental milestones. Care-givers model adult-infant interactions and recommend age-appropriate toys and activities. These discussions can assist parents in reflecting on their own parenting beliefs, strengths, and challenges.

Within the framework of family-friendly child care, parents and caregivers can resolve any issues that arise for infants in care. Together they can develop a plan to address separa-tion anxiety by using the following recommendations:

nAcknowledge that parent-infant separation is hard for the infant, the parent, and the caregiver.

nClosely observe the infant at transition times and identify patterns of behavior.

nPlan routines that create an easier and predictable separation and try to maintain consistency.

nBegin interaction with the infant while the parent is still present to minimize the abruptness of separation.

nEncourage parents to take as much time as needed to have a relaxed, unhurried separation from their infant.

nRespond to an infant’s distress at separation in a calm and reassuring manner. Support and acknowledge the infant’s emotional reactions and needs rather than just trying to provide a distraction.

nCheck in with parents to keep them informed of how their infant is adjusting.

By understanding separation anxiety through the develop-mental perspective of an infant and using family-friendly practices, parents and caregivers are able to communicate about what the infant is experiencing. Amy explains, “A parent who is anxious about separation will lead to a child who is also anxious. Children can sense that.” Together, the child care worker and parent can make a plan to support the secure attachments that make the infant feel good, gain confidence to explore the world, and build successful relationships.

References

Berlin, L. J., Ziv, Y., Amaya-Jackson, L. M., & Green-

berg, M. T. (Eds.) (2005). Enhancing early attach-

ments: Theory, research, intervention, and policy.

New York: Guilford Press.

Capizzano, J., & Main, R. (2005). Many young chil-

dren spend long hours in child care (Snapshot of

America’s Families, Vol. III, No. 22). Washington, DC:

Urban Institute.

Gonzalez-Mena J., & Eyer, D. (2004). Infants, tod-

dlers, and caregivers: A curriculum of respectful,

responsive, relationship-based care and education

(6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2009, October 27). 2006-2008

American Community Survey data. Available at

www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/

american_community_surveyacs/cb09-cn28.html

PHOTOGRAPH BY BONNIE NEUGEBAUER

Beginnings Workshop

As a former school teacher and fairly new child care director, I was eager and fully committed to providing a physically and emotionally healthy environment for children. However, I was hesitant when I applied for the director’s job in a program just being established that would implement continuity of care with multi-age groupings. I knew a little bit about the concept but was in no way knowledgeable of how to implement it. I quickly learned that I had to make supporting my teachers and staff a priority, and that I had to understand and embrace the concept myself.

We were a new team learning to work together, and we were all intrigued, yet intimidated, by the idea of continuity of care with multi-age groups. While the teachers had experience working with young children, few had worked in multi-age groups, and none had been involved in programs that implemented continuity. Further, children were enrolled and attending so we couldn’t stop moving in this direction. At the same time, we wanted to move in the right direction.

The First Question I Asked Was “Why Not?”

nWhy not build ‘school families’ where teachers are given the opportunity to invest in the lives of children in their classrooms and connect with families for a longer period of time?

nWhy not expand the teachers’ expertise in child develop-ment to a longer timespan than the typical 8-12 months that is standard in our geographical area?

nWhy not support social and emotional development by having children of multiple ages in each classroom environment?

We began with relationship-building among the adults: learning to trust, value, and support one another. This orientation was the most important factor in our success:

nWe began depending on each other for positive support and for creative challenge.

nWe spent time discussing and defining our core values and mission.

nWe worked hard to avoid rigid rules and instead adopted a commitment to what was best for the children and families.

I began one staff meeting like this to start the conversation about transitions in the lives of children:

“I know you have just started working here and we’ve only been together for a short time, but I have seen your work and you are really starting to ‘get it.’ So I have this incredible opportunity for one of you. You get to move to ‘Smithville,’ only 2 hours away by car. You get to have new friends, new furniture, and a whole new world. The rules might be slightly different, but not too much. Who wants to go?”

Can you imagine the conversation that ensued? We had rich, meaningful exchanges about relationships, established ritu-als, accepted routines, and fears. As adults, most of us would not like to move to a new place, start a new job, and make new friends every 8-12 months. Yet, we had been doing just that to the children in our program, with good intentions.

Discussing this provocation helped us realize that we had never considered what would happen if we didn’t change children’s teachers annually. As a result, our new question became, “What if each teacher stayed with a child and his or her family for a longer period of their life — up to three years?” We became excited about what we were doing and how we could make a difference in children’s and families’ lives with the change. We faced many challenges and made many discoveries along the way. Let me tell you about these now.

Environments ARE Different in Multi-Age Classrooms Using Continuity of Care

Classrooms reflect each teacher’s personality and style. I trust in the teachers to support our mission and the expecta-tions we have for our classrooms. Then I step back and let them figure out how to do this by using their imagination, knowledge, and understanding of the children in their care. Teachers’ knowledge of where children are in their develop-ment dictates what curricular elements look like and how they are used. The teachers are thoughtful about their choices. For example, the teacher of a high-energy group is going to build elements into the room that reflect the need for

Responding to the Challenge of ProvidingContinuity of Care in Multi-Age Classrooms

by Kaitlyn Hunter

Kaitlyn Hunter is the Executive Director of Family and Child Services at INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She serves on the board of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma and is a member of the Oklahoma Professional Development Workforce Workgroup. She was a collaborator on the professional development DVD, “Collaborative Super-vision: Accompanying Teachers on the Professional Development Journey.”

She presents workshops at the state and national levels on the topics of continuity of care and collaborative supervision.

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physical development and is also going to find intriguing ways to offer quiet and calm activities to the children who want and need these.

Supplies and materials are shared throughout the building, and teachers enjoy sharing their ideas and seeing their colleagues build upon these ideas. Families are now involv-ed in lending or donating objects to classrooms, and age- specific toys are no longer hoarded in individual classrooms.

In this context, we have found that challenging behaviors are rarely a problem. We attribute this to the strong, estab-lished relationships within the classroom, the teacher’s rich knowledge and understanding of each child, and the vary-ing developmental needs of the children in the classroom. In a mixed-age classroom, children aren’t achieving develop-mental milestones at the same time. They are at different development stages and are interested in different toys and materials. This may explain, in part, why the children’s frustration seen in same-age classrooms is minimized when children of mixed ages learn together.

Teachers ARE Different in Multi-Age Classrooms Using Continuity of Care

Flexibility is a cherished teacher characteristic in our pro-gram. When new issues arise, we look for what we can do, rather than what we cannot. For example, when a teacher is

challenged by what to do when she has a sleeping infant during outdoor play time for older children, the conversation we have about whether to skip outdoor time includes questions like these:

n“What do you think?” n“What else might work?n“Have you thought about taking the infant’s crib outside

with you?”

Another challenge was, “How do I meet the needs of the older children when I need to feed, diaper, or care for a younger child?” We view these questions as opportunities to model empathy and offer children an opportunity to help us care for the younger child. We found that older children feel empowered when they understand what is needed and can be helpful. Teachers have found ways to allow older children to help with routines such as feeding babies or sharing books and toys. Children in our program love to help with laundry, to wash tables, and to inform the teacher when a baby needs something.

Teacher turnover has been low. We credit retention to our supportive environment, our deep investment in our children and their families, and the commitment of our staff. When the opportunity arises to make a new hiring decision, we do it collaboratively, involving teachers, administrators, and support staff.

Tips for Implementing Mixed-Age Groups Using Continuity of Care

StaffnWork hard at open communication, first with staff and then with families. nProvide ongoing and continuous staff training to expand teachers’ knowledge of continuity of care and confidence in implementing and

talking with families about the practice. nProvide ongoing support to staff as challenges arise.

Physical EnvironmentnAssess how well your current facilities support continuity and make changes where necessary:

• Are toilets and sinks available for the ages of children you will be serving?• Are any modifications to playgrounds necessary to accommodate multi-age groups?• Does your current equipment need modification to respond to the needs of the children who will be using it?

FamiliesnOffer family education sessions to introduce families to the benefits of continuity of care in multi-age classrooms. nConsider placing siblings in the same classroom, when appropriate, to foster family relationships.nEncourage families to participate in the transition process by collaborating with teachers in various ways, including hosting ‘Class

Family’ meetings, lunches, and outings.

Transition/ImplementationnConsider transitioning ‘naturally’ by allowing children to stay with their teacher for a longer period of time rather than setting a center-

wide transition date. nExpect your first groups to be of similar age; phase into multi-age grouping over time. nBe flexible and creative in considering ways to support your goals of implementing multi-age classrooms using continuity of care in

innovative ways that work for you and your program.

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We also recognize the importance of getting new staff off on the right foot. In our program, new staff members partici-pate in a 12-month orientation. We hire new staff into sup-porting roles rather than directly into primary teaching roles in the classroom. This gives new team members the chance to get to know our culture and expectations first. Then they work closely with a mentor for another year. When teachers and children stay together for three years, it gives us the time we need to make sure there is a good fit between new teachers and the classroom they ultimately join.

Families Have Different Experiences in Multi-Age Classrooms Using Continuity of Care

From the moment a family enrolls, true partnership is our goal. We want families actively involved in their child’s early care and education experience. We start talking to families about the continuity of care and family grouping approach before they enroll. The teacher and director work as a team to orient the family and child, and to encourage a gradual transition to build trusting relationships for all.

We believe that we are caring for the child and for the child’s family. If a parent has anxiety about leaving his or her child to go to work, the child feels that anxiety. It is our job to help the family feel safe, understood, and involved. From the start we discuss why we implement continuity of care, why we only have two multi-age groups in our program,

and how this structure fits well with age-appropriate expec-tations and materials and avoids transitions around the typi-cal separation and stranger-anxiety stages of development.

Leadership Roles Are Different in Multi-Age Classrooms Using Continuity of Care

I am a different leader in this environment. I am more reflective and view myself as a mentor and coach of a team. The team has the talent and skills; it is my job to help develop that talent and to challenge teachers just enough to keep them operating at their peak.

Temperaments, personalities, and professional develop-ment needs are different for each of my teachers. It’s my job to capitalize on their individual strengths and to meet their individual needs. But I also have to be able to see the needs of the program as a whole and to see where strength can be leveraged to grow teachers or to support children and families. This takes intentionality on my part. It is more than knowing what kind of beverage each teacher prefers or their birthdates. It is an authentic commitment to and interest in each teacher’s individual success.

Building long-term relationships with children and families through continuity of care is a gift to everyone involved in this endeavor. The trust, respect, partnerships, and invest-ment in this practice are like none other I have experienced in our field.

A Case for Continuity of Care:The Teachers’ Perspectivesby Karisa Davis and Melonie Collins

The case for continuity of care is strong. There is no dispute that secure attachment in the earliest years of a child’s life is a priceless gift. By limiting transitions and number of loving, engaged primary caregivers in a child’s life, the child is able to emotionally bond at a deeper level, thus learning to trust and feel secure. Continuity of care is not typically the concern for teachers; the challenge tends to be how to adjust to the multi-age groups that are a result of this continuity.

A classroom of infants and toddlers can pose an amazing, yet intimidating experience. Challenges of mixed ages and

continuity of care include: understanding the safety and needs as children grow and change, planning and modifying curriculum, and family-child-teacher relationships.

Understanding the Safety and Needs of Infants and Toddlers as They Grow and Change

A common concern in multi-age groups is the safety of infants. Toddlers express their feelings through behavior before they can successfully use expressive language. Their struggle to communicate often results in hitting, biting, and kicking their peers. Interestingly, this concern has been put to rest for us and, in fact, we see very little of these behaviors in our classrooms now.

Karisa: I was excited about having my children for a longer period of time, but I was unsure about having multi-age

The following are the perspectives of two different teachers and their struggles and triumphs in continuity of care with multi-age groups. Karisa, a novice teacher, explains her first out-of-college working experience. Melonie, an experienced teacher, compares her 17 years of child care experience in both year-to-year classrooms and continuity of care, multi-age group classrooms.

Beginnings Workshopgroups. I was concerned that the older children would not recognize the babies as people and would trample them, or would treat them like baby dolls and try to do everything for them. I am careful to pay attention to my tone of voice and body language, as I know they are watching and learning from everything I do. Much to my surprise, they were more aware of the babies than I expected. The older toddlers are attentive when a baby cries, often wanting to help. I serve as a model of appropriate words and actions toward a cry-ing baby and often hear my words come out of toddlers’ mouths. When a baby is crying or fussing, the toddlers try to give the baby a pacifier or pat the baby to sleep. Some of the older toddlers will tell the baby, “It’s okay” or, “I can see you’re sad” or ask “What is it, baby?” They also like to give the babies toys and books and try to distract them or make them laugh. The interactions are kind and soft, exactly as I modeled for them. When I hear a toddler say or do some-thing that sounds just like what I have said or done, it is an instant reminder of why I love working with young children.

Melonie: Because I had not much experience with infants, it seemed it was going to be impossible to maintain a safe environment for them in multi-age groups. I quickly found that the older children regularly demonstrated concern for the infants. For instance, the younger toddlers pointed and said, “Uh-oh” as they observed a crying infant. Older toddlers placed one finger over their mouths and said, “Shh” as they witnessed an infant sleeping in his or her crib. Of course, typical toddler behaviors of frustration and high energy still exist, but few incidents of hitting, biting, and kicking occur among children of the same age, and they are much more aware of their bodies and are careful to keep the babies safe.

Meeting the Needs of ALL the Children Over Time

Continuity of care provides the children with a consistent environment to foster secure emotional attachment behav-iors. Secure attachment to adults is essential to a child’s future emotional well-being. Staying with the same teacher for three years helps both the child and teacher get to know specific needs and practices in the classroom. The children knows what to expect from their teacher and vise versa. The bond that forms between the child, teacher, and family plays an important role in the developmental success of the child.

Karisa: Although infants need more one-on-one attention and assistance than a toddler who is learning to be inde-pendent, toddlers need that one-on-one attention, too. It is a balancing act that becomes the norm for teachers who

embrace continuity of care in multi-age groups. Each event that happens in the classroom can be a learning experience that helps foster that balance. Feeding a baby in a highchair becomes a chance to explain to the older children that a baby does not have the muscle coordination to hold the spoon, scoop the food, and put it in his mouth, so I have to show the baby how to do it. And when they were babies I showed them how to use a spoon and now look how good they are at it! As for the food, the babies have to have their food smashed because they do not have teeth to chew it yet. So a meal becomes a lesson in science, one-on-one time with a toddler or two, and meeting the needs of a baby all in one.

Melonie: Yesterday, a toddler named Lacey needed a lot of my attention. She wanted me to hold her all the time. I did when I could and when I needed to change another child’s diaper, I got down on my knees and held Lacey’s hands, made eye contact with her, and said, “I know you want me to hold you, but I need to change Catherine’s diaper right now. Take your baby doll and sit right by me while I do that.” Lacey held my leg and followed me to the changing area. I continued talking to both Catherine and Lacey as I com-pleted this routine task. These experiences occur on a regu-lar basis and show how our relationships play a role in the dynamic language, coping, and self-regulation skills of the children. I am constantly modeling and practicing these skills with them throughout the day. Because I am with my children for three years, I get to know their tendencies, cries, needs, and individual differences at a much deeper level. I can instinctively react more quickly because I truly know and understand them.

Modifying Curriculum to Fit Each Child

A definite concern for a teacher new to a continuity of care classroom is curriculum. Modifying lesson plans for various ages and stages can be daunting in the beginning. Through training, support from our director, trial and error, reading and research, and tapping other teachers’ ideas and sug-gestions, we have learned how to think differently about cur-riculum planning. Over time the planning process became easier, more fun and creative, and much more intentional.

Karisa: Planning for infants and toddlers has proven to be easier than I originally thought it would be. Just the idea of including infants in activities was a little bizarre to me, until I did it! The plan for a toddler activity looks quite different than one for an infant.

Painting is a good example. Older toddlers can stand at the easel and use a brush making strokes in specific directions.

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Younger toddlers sit at the table and use a brush and their fingers to paint and make marks on the paper. And infants sit in a feeding chair exploring the texture and feeling the paint in their fingers and feeling the paper. Each child is experiencing the same ‘painting’ activity and learning completely different aspects.

A lesson on bugs illustrates this idea further. Infants can explore the large plastic and stuffed bugs and the older toddlers are able to catch and study real bugs. Infants explore the textures of each plastic bug with their hands and mouth, while the toddlers are learning the specific char-acteristics of the bugs, such as colors or whether the bug flies or crawls. The older toddlers are able to take what they learn at school home with them, remember the bugs they saw at school, and talk about them with their families.

For me, planning for infants and toddlers is the same as planning for different children in the same age group. Children’s learning is highly individual, and children have different interests and learning styles. Planning for a multi-age group is actually easier because the developmental differences are obvious. I don’t find myself comparing abilities. Individualism shines in our classroom, and I am keenly aware of these wonderful strengths.

Melonie: My greatest challenge was implementing age-appropriate activities for all the children. With patience, understanding, and support from my director and peers, I learned how to integrate each child into my curriculum planning. In the dramatic play area, the older children go through role play with specific meaningful tasks. They take paper towels to the table, place dishes with plastic food, and pretend to eat. The infants explore the dishes and food by banging them together. As another example, the older children use measuring cups to pour water in the sensory table. However, the infants work with frozen teething toys and water on their highchair tray. Once the infants are able to pull themselves up, they were encouraged to participate at the sensory table with the older children. I learned that infants can do a lot more than I thought and that I could incorporate learning opportunities into routine caregiving. By singing, reading, talking, and making eye contact, I’m teaching them verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as well as so many other things about their world.

Establishing and Maintaining Family-Child-Teacher Relationships

Families benefit from remaining with the same teacher for three years. Families and teachers develop a strong partner-ship. This partnership encourages families and teachers to

work together through every stage of a child’s development and learning. Each partner relies on open communication to make sure our efforts work. As result, we are there by the family’s side through sleepless nights, teething, first steps, and toilet learning.

Karisa: Keeping a classroom of children for up to three years makes it easier and far less stressful to build and sustain relationships with the children and their families. The chance to be with the same children and their families for the last three years has given me many learning opportu-nities. When new families start, I am more comfortable knowing that I have time to establish a genuine relationship instead of feeling rushed and focused only on the school aspect of the children’s lives. In addition, being with the same group of children over time helps them to feel connected and make friends more readily.

Melonie: Earlier in my career, relationships felt rushed and unfinished. At the end of every year, children moved from one teacher to another. When the year was over, I always felt that I had only begun to touch the hearts of the families and children in my care; I wasn’t finished. As children transi-tioned to the next teacher, reactions were intense. They cried and sometimes threw tantrums. Adjustments could take quite a while. Families came back to me for constant reassurance that their children would eventually adjust.

Now, when children are ready to move on to their preschool classroom, they tell us by asking questions about preschool and showing outward signs of being ready for the preschool environment and its different activities. We work with the preschool teachers to create a bridge from our infant/ toddler program to our preschool program so that the family and child feel safe and know that they will have the same rich and loving care for this new phase of their develop-ment.

The transitions to preschool are completed gradually with visitations and shared outdoor time. The goal is to take our time and look for the right time to wave goodbye when the children are ready for their next adventure.

With one of us still learning and the other perfecting her craft, we are more understanding of the needs of infants and toddlers, of creating curriculum options for multiple ages, and of developing connected, genuine bonds between children and their families. Besides being grounded in appropriate practice, continuity of care in multi-age groups is a most precious experience for teachers to share with children and their families.


I remember what it was like before we adapted Hungarian pediatrician Emmi Pikler’s ideas on infant education into our early childhood centre:

nThe environment was far from peaceful with infants crying for attention much of the time and often looking a little lost due to not having developed a strong attach-ment with any of the adults in the environment.

nThere was one person responsible for diaper changing each day, and her job was to get through all the necessary diaper changes as quickly as possible.

nMeal times were absolute chaos with very little food actually consumed and much of it ending up on the floor, all over high-chairs, and on the faces and bodies of the children and teachers.

nWe would plan ‘educational experiences’ for these infants and toddlers, such as putting paint out on the table. This paint would be used on everything except the paper provided and seemed to be a substitute for the food which wasn’t being eaten at mealtimes.

This was almost ten years ago. Since then, we have decided there must be a more respectful and appropriate way to care for our youngest citizens. We were offering a watered-down preschool curriculum to infants and toddlers. What we realized is that care is the curriculum for infants and toddlers.

Change occurred when we began to truly respect the capa-bilities and individuality of each child. It was different when we could take our time to change a diaper and have the same person spend proper quality time with each child.

There are many years for our infants to learn what paint tastes like, but at this early stage in their development it is far more important to learn to love and to be loved and to respect and be respected. This is our best chance to foster a shared sense of humanity.

I am happy to share the practical guidelines we have developed after ten years of looking at infant care in more depth and sincerely hope these will be of practical use to teachers working with infants in group care settings.

Practical Guidelines for Implementation

The following guidelines constitute ways we can show our respect for infants in early childhood centres:

Recognising that infants need to develop a strong and reciprocal relationship with at least one other person in the environment and implementing a primary caregiver system to cater for that primary need.

The primary caregiver-child relationship is not an exclusive relationship, nor is it a replacement for parents. On the con-trary, primary caregiving involves a team approach. For a primary caregiving system to be effective, it must be under-stood and supported by all members of the teaching team and all families who attend the centre. What needs to be understood is that an infant needs to form a strong relation-ship with at least one other person in the environment, and the foundation of that relationship is reliant on continuity and trust. For infants, care and education are inseparable because valuable learning is taking place during routine care times and this learning is hindered if the child does not have a strong reciprocal and consistent relationship with the person who is caring for him or her. In being cared for, the infant is learning to care for others. This is essen-tially the basis for a shared sense of humanity, which will enable the infant to form and maintain relationships throughout his or her life.

Inviting infants to engage and waiting for their approval prior to interacting with them.

Respectful Care is Only Fair:Guidelines for Respecting Infants in ECEbyToniChristie

Toni Christie, M. Ed., co-founded Childspace Early Learning Centres and subsequently the Childspace Early Childhood Institute in Wellington, New Zealand. While Toni began her career as an early childhood teacher, currently her work involves teaching adults about the importance of the early years. Together with her husband Robin, Toni has written books and resources, publishes a quarterly magazine, hosts annual conferences,

designs early childhood environments, delivers professional development for teachers and they love their jobs! Toni and Robin believe that early childhood is the most significant stage of every person’s development. They are driven to provide practical, relevant, natural, and aesthetic resources and environments for all who play and work with very young children. They have applied their talents internationally including in Australia, Canada, Cook Islands, Denmark, Germany, Fiji, Ireland, Malaysia, México, Scotland, Singapore, and the United States.



Interactions with infants should begin with an invitation by the teacher. This can take the form of a verbal invitation accompanied by outstretched open hands with palms facing up. After this initial verbal and physical invitation, the care-giver needs to wait for a response. Hammond (2009) advises:

“When an adult speaks quietly about what is happening and waits for a response, the child does not need to be on alert that a change could be coming at any moment unannounced” (p. 17).

An invitation and explanation is a simple matter of respect. Imagine being asked, being heard, and holding the power in matters affecting your physical well-being. For most adults this is accepted as a basic human right. Now imagine some-one physically lifting or interfering with you in any way to which you have not consented. In the second instance, when you were not invited or consulted, the experience is one of powerlessness. You might feel more like an object rather than a human with individual thoughts, opinions, freedoms, and rights.

Interpreting children’s intentions by peacefully observing them and paying close attention to their body language, cues, and gestures.

Through subtle signs and gestures in the presence of sensi-tive, attuned observers, even the youngest child can express her opinion and therefore have her human rights upheld (United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2003). It is through observation that teachers learn what the child wants, needs, likes, dislikes, and also what they are capable of and what their emerging capabilities are. This peaceful observation enables teachers to go further than feeling empathy. They go beyond “What would I want if I were her?” to considering “What does she want?”

Slowing down and recognising that infants may prefer an unhurried approach to their individual care routines, learning, and development. Being flexible about breaks and making them work according to the needs and rhythms of the infants as opposed to working by the clock.

In order to give infants unhurried time, teachers have to make a commitment to slow down and be emotionally present with infants (Kovach & Da Ros-Voseles, 2008). This provides the child valuable, uninterrupted quality time and attention. When we do this we demonstrate our ability to empathise with the infant and understand from his perspective what the experience of going to sleep/changing a diaper/

having a meal at the centre must feel like. This practice of taking adequate time deepens teachers’ awareness and knowledge of each child, sensing by their behaviour, body language, and expressions.

When we give our time we show value for the person with whom we are engaged. When we rush an interaction, we run the risk of leaving the person feeling unsatisfied and undervalued by the experience. Each child will have her own rhythm and pace. Respectful practice involves stepping out of our own rhythm and pace and adjusting to that of the infant. For adults, generally this is going to mean slowing down a great deal in order to observe and interpret needs, invite children to engage, wait for their response, and then engage in the interaction at the child’s pace.

Offering infants choices about what is happening for them and waiting for a response to the choices offered.

At mealtimes there are always choices for food prepared by the cook so teachers can cater to children’s individual tastes. Also, choices about when children are hungry and want to eat are decided by the child. Teachers offer food and if it is not accepted, they can put it away to offer later. Teachers at the case study centre feel that offering children choices is an essential element of their philosophy and practices. Here teachers provide their opinions on the subject of choices:

“It is important to offer children choices. You know, espe-cially infants, they don’t get a lot of choice about anything really. So offering them a choice in anything that involves them gives the power over to them. They can see and feel how powerful they are in decisions which directly affect their well-being.

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“Talking to them about what is going to happen next and giving them the opportunity to respond and be a willing participant. Giving children choices (particularly infants who are often overlooked in this area), they will soon get the idea that their opinion is valued.”

Brumbaugh (2008) sums up why it is important to offer children choices:

“Giving children choices shows them that educators care. When educators trust children to make choices concerning their daily events and activities, they not only create a sense of autonomy, but also an environment of respect” (p. 175).

Being available to infants and supporting them in their learning, but resisting the urge to intervene unnecessarily in their problem-solving efforts and mastery of their own physical development.

Infants are capable of solving their own problems and hav-ing opinions. As the responsible adult, we can be tempted to rush in and ‘save’ the child when he or she looks chal-lenged. These are the moments we need to consider what it really means to be a teacher. Being close by and supportive, but allowing an infant the space and time to learn for herself will prove more valu-able than ‘helping’ her by intervening in her learning. Support rather than inter-vention is a mark of respect for the child. Adults gener-ally try to do too much for children, and this can have a damaging affect on children’s perception of themselves as confident and competent learners.

Recognise the need for a strong philosophy and deep level of respect among team members. You can accomplish more and achieve greater quality for the benefit of the infants in your care when you share the same goals as a team, communi-cate effectively, and demonstrate respect for one another.

The teachers at the case study centre have a vision about how their centre should feel and what experiences will be like for infants and toddlers there. The most important part of realising this vision is that every member of the teaching team shares the vision. Part of their philosophy with chil-dren is that teachers trust them to be confident and com-petent learners, and the first level of trust within the environment must be among the adults who work as a team.

Ten years ago our child care centre was a frustrating place for teachers and children. Today it is truly a home away from home. It is a place where infants and their families feel warmly welcomed, valued, and respected. Now, thanks to the ideas we have adapted from Emmi Pikler, caregiving is our curriculum. And this is exactly as it should be for our youngest children. Our teaching team continues to develop and refine their ideas. More on our approach can be be found on our website (www.childspace.co.nz).

References and Resources

Brumbaugh, E. (2008). DAP in ECE: Respect. Kappa Delta Pi Record,

44(4), 70-175.

Christie, T. (2011). RESPECT: A prac-

titioner’s guide to calm and nurturing

care and education. Wellington, NZ:

Childspace Early Childhood Institute.

Available from: www.childspace.co.

nz/catalog/P105_RESPECT__NEW.

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Hammond, R. (2009). Respecting

babies: A new look at Magda

Gerber’s RIE approach. Washington,

DC: Zero to Three.

Kovach, B., & Da Ros-Voseles, D.

(2008). Being with babies: Under-

standing and responding to the

infants in your care. Silver Spring,

MD: Gryphon House.

United Nations Committee on the

Rights of the Child. (2003). Conclud-

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on the Rights of the Child: New Zea-

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