Infants depend on their caregivers for food, warmth, and care, and for meeting such basic needs as eating, diapering, sleeping, and bonding. But all babies are unique. Some infants may settle easily and be capable of quickly soothing themselves.
The LFA Toolkit is a collection of presentations, handouts, guided practice exercises, and descriptions of additional resources designed to support program staff in enhancing, conducting, and interpreting child assessments. It builds upon the assessment knowledge and expertise programs already possess, and the materials can be used selectively to design trainings that will meet programs' particular needs.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill contains a provision (Section 205) that requires that "none of the funds appropriated in this title for Head Start shall be used to pay the compensation of an individual, either as a direct cost or any proration as an indirect cost, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II."
The toddler years are a time when children are building skills in all areas. They remember what they learn and share it with others. They understand things more deeply, make choices, and engage with others in new ways. The changes in their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development help them to build new skills that prepare them for school and later learning.
Children who speak home languages other than English make up at least one third of Head Start enrollment. They speak more than 140 languages and are enrolled in 87 percent of all Head Start programs. All Head Start staff, and policy makers will want to understand what these young dual language learners (DLLs) need in order to thrive in Head Start and beyond. They will also want to know how to support DLL’s development and school readiness skills.
Supporting transitions can have positive effects on children and families, and collaboration is key to effective transition. Each brief in this series focuses on a different partnership level: the child and family, early educators, early care and education (ECE) programs, and ECE partners.
These 15-minute In-service Suites are a professional development resource for staff in busy, active early childhood centers and programs. They are organized around one topic or big idea and address effective teaching and assessment practices.
The following chart includes HHS regulations that apply to all grants made under the Act [per §1303.3 Other requirements.]
Use this resource to help build parent and staff capacity in using books and stories for helping young children learn, manage strong emotions, deal with feelings of grief, or work on their social skills.