This publication, written for persons preparing for or engaged in child care services, provides information that will promote improved health awareness, initiate action and enable parents to cope more adequately with problems of their children's health. The publication will enable social work, child welfare, day care, preschool, and nursing school students and child care workers to (1) comprehend the normal functioning of small children; (2) place the emotional and physical growth needs of children in proper perspective; (3) identify defects, illnesses, and handicaps in children; (4) develop skill in appropriate use of health and medical care resources; (5) grow in their creativity, ingenuity, and capacity to provide the necessary supplementation to the health care which the family offers the preschool child; (6) improve competence in offering health guidance planning effectively with parents; (7) increase a sensitivity to health needs of preschool children in lower socioeconomic families; and (8) strengthen family life through appropriate medical care service for children. Chapter headings include: Child Health Care, Growth and Development, Health Supervision of Children, A Continuum of Health and Disease, Disease States, and Handicapping Conditions. An appendix and bibliography of further sources are included. (Author/AJ)