Written for child care center directors, this book offers a framework for thinking about and organizing the director's work along with principles and strategies to cultivate the kind of thinking and activities that support a vision of early childhood programs as learning communities. Chapter 1, "Guiding Your Program with a Vision," offers a vision of early childhood programs as the new neighborhoods of the twenty-first century, poised to cure the ills of society. Chapter 2, "A Framework for Your Work," suggests thinking of a director's work as a triangle, carefully balanced on all sides. The next three chapters offer details about working from each side of the framework, with principles and strategies to consider. Chapter 3, "Your Role in Building and Supporting Community," suggests principles such as making the center feel like a home and exploring and mediating conflicts. Chapter 4, "Your Role of Mentoring and Coaching," suggests principles such as giving thoughtful attention to the environment, and emphasizing dispositions as much as skills and knowledge. Chapter 5, "Your Role of Managing and Overseeing," suggests principles such as creating a continuous cycle of evaluation and planning, and viewing time as a building block. Chapter 6, "Moving from Surviving to Thriving--The Need for Nourishment and Activism," stresses the need for self-care and activism. The book's afterword describes promising early childhood alliances, community collaboration projects, and organizing efforts. The book contains 11 appendices: (1) "Conflict Resolution"; (2) "The Model Work Standards Assessment Tool"; (3) "Multiple Intelligences Checklists"; (4) "Calculation of the Full Cost of Quality Care"; (5) "Mock Invoice Reflecting Full Cost of Care; (6) "Teacher and Director Evaluation Materials"; (7) "Conference Attendance Planning Form"; (8) "Observation Form for Visiting Other Programs"; (9) "Meeting Requirements for Curriculum Planning"; (10) "Ten Dimensions of Organizational Climate Assessment Tool"; and (11) "Sample Licenser Self-Evaluation Tool." (LPP)