This book deals with issues surrounding the social and caregiving environments of children's first three years. Issues most relevant to the assessment of infants and their caregiving environments and to the design and implementation of programs for infants and toddlers are addressed in the first paper. The second paper discusses the developmental needs of the child, offers techniques for assessing whether these needs are being met, and suggests the design and implementation of appropriate settings for infants and toddlers. The third paper focuses on low-income children within a specially designed day care setting and argues that children from low-income families can be cared for in group care settings without adversely affecting their health, their mothers' attitudes toward them, or their attachment to their mothers. The role of parents and other caregivers in the development of both normal and handicapped infants is discussed in papers four and five, along with ideas for using intervention techniques. An instrument designed to sensitize infant development specialists to the feelings, attitudes, and behaviors of parents is described in paper six, and an intervention program for mentally ill mothers of young children is outlined in paper seven. The effect of increased maternal employment on infant development and the father's role in infancy are discussed in papers 8 and 9, respectively. Paper 10 looks at the psychological and social aspects of parenting, discusses directions for support of parents, and presents a model for providing such support. Finally, a critical analysis of social policy issues affecting infants is offered in paper 11. (Author/MP)