This article explores the practice narratives of a group of 25 caregivers who work with babies in daycare settings in England and seeks to illustrate awareness of, resistance to and compliance with powerful discourses. It is argued that multiple voices exert an influence over baby room practice, disempowering the caregivers and reducing their…

This study examined the factors associated with childcare staff members' readiness to implement quality standards in early childhood settings in Ireland. To coincide with a new government policy that provides every three-year-old child with access to a free preschool year, a framework designed to improve the quality of early childhood care and…

This study tests the explanatory power of Deci and Ryan's (1985) self-determination theory as a framework for describing how interactions between early childhood teachers and the systems within which their work is embedded influence motivation for professional growth and change in teaching practice. Fifty-four early childhood teachers and teacher…

Federal and State Governments provide childcare subsidies for low-income working families. This study compares the encountered issues and working environments of family home providers of subsidized and non-subsidized childcare. Questionnaires were distributed throughout a southeastern state in the United States to 548 family home childcare…

Does AISD promote a culturally proficient and inclusive environment for all staff and students? This report summarizes data gathered from district-wide surveys that address issues related to cultural diversity for school years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

The field of special education has emerged as an area of significant research over the last decade. One area that has been targeted for study within the body of research relates to the high rates of attrition of staff. With the advent of the federal legislation requiring school districts to locate and employ highly qualified teachers, the need to…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) has become a policy priority in many countries. A growing body of research recognises that it provides a wide range of benefits, including social and economic benefits, better child well-being and learning outcomes as a foundation for lifelong learning, more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty, and…

This study examined the relationship between the complexity of thinking about children by child care teachers and observed teachers' caregiving for infants and toddlers. It was hypothesized that the perceived supportiveness of the work environment would affect this relationship. Fifty-six child care teachers completed a survey assessing complexity…

By following the emerging early education policies in state governments across the United States, as well as tracking the direction of ECE professional organizations, one gets the impression that quality improvement is assured by an ever-expanding set of requirements and expectations placed on teachers. However, most of the folks who are…

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) can bring a wide range of benefits--for children, parents and society at large. However, these benefits are conditional on "quality". Expanding access to services without attention to quality will not deliver good outcomes for children or long-term productivity benefits for society. This new publication…

Forty-nine caregivers in eight daycare centres were interviewed about their daycare experiences, their own childcare decisions and practices, and their views of how their profession is perceived by society. Results suggest that: caregivers comment positively on the process elements of their work, such as their enjoyment and love of children, and…

An estimated 30 to 40 percent of child care professionals leave the field, often due to burnout arising from some combination of long hours, isolation, low pay, and lack of respect. With humor and empathy, "Finding Your Smile Again" provides dozens of proven techniques for coping with stressful situations and diagnosing and preventing burnout. A…

Providing benefits to the employees are well-proven motivators. Many child care center owners and directors have discovered that employee benefits can eliminate the need for incentive compensation. This article discusses the importance of fringe benefits to find, attract, and retain workers in a company. It also discusses benefits that employees…

There has been much policy interest on the theme of children's services in recent years. For example, the 1998 National Child Strategy explicitly aims to ensure good quality, affordable childcare for children aged 0 to 14 in every neighbourhood, including both formal childcare and support for informal arrangements. The sector has a changed a lot…

In this study of the multiple determinants of professional caregiving, 237 caregivers (age range: 18-56 years) from 64 Dutch child care centers were extensively observed during their interactions with the children (0-4 years) in their usual care group. The choice of potential determinants of the caregiving quality was guided by Belsky's [Belsky,…