This resource will teach home visitors, program staff, caregivers, and other early childhood educators how to create a safe, playful, and welcoming learning environment for infants and toddlers.

A woman’s lifestyle may affect her breast milk, and have an impact on the baby. During breastfeeding, it is important for a woman not to consume alcohol, smoke, or take drugs.  These substances are known to pass through the breast milk. This information can help mothers to understand better about the consequences of smoking, using drugs, and drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Mobile infants are developing more control of their head, torso, arms, and legs, and are beginning to coordinate those movements. They sleep less and are more active during the day, eager to engage in everything around them.

Check out the infographic below to learn why the best way to protect against mumps is to get the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Doctors recommend that all children get the MMR vaccine to be protected from these three potentially serious diseases.

Health managers, directors, and teaching staff may use this information on IPM to prevent pesticide illnesses in children in Head Start and other child care environments.

Healthy eating is essential to a child's nutrition and well-being. Children who are overweight are at risk for chronic health problems. The Weight-control Information Network (WIN), a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), offers guidance to parents and caregivers on how to encourage healthy eating habits in children.

All young children benefit when their caregivers are healthy and not too stressed or depressed. Explore practical tools to help caregivers build positive relationships with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and reduce stress.

This resource offers data to support the importance of investing in early childhood mental health consultation. Programs may use the resources in this tool kit as a guide in designing and implementing effective mental health services for families.

This tool supports parents and caregivers in understanding temperament. Discover simple best practice tips adults can use to foster the unique temperament of each child.

Explore Family Connections, a preventive, systemwide mental health consultation and training approach to strengthen the capacity of Early Head Start and Head Start staff. Staff can use these resources in working with families dealing with parental depression and related adversities.