Noting that children must receive nurturing, consistent care during the first 3 years of life in order to reach their full potential as curious, confident, and able life-long learners and contributing members of their families and communities, this guide presents a framework to assist Arkansas caregivers in providing such care for infants and toddlers. The guide is organized into two major sections. Section 1 describes the elements essential to quality care (relationships, physical and program environment, child health and safety, program experiences, and respect and celebration of diversity) and six intertwining strands of development that unite essential elements of quality programs: (1) self concept development; (2) emotional development; (3) social development; (4) language development; (5) physical development; and (6) cognitive development. For each developmental strand, the guide delineates ways caregivers support the child's development and provides examples of development in a particular area. Appended to Section 1 are principles of assessment for infants and toddlers and a discussion of the importance of professional development and training for caregivers of infants and toddlers. Section 2, the bulk of the document, expands upon the framework by presenting developmental benchmarks with suggested strategies and activities for use by caregivers as they plan for infants and toddlers in their care. For each strand, developmental benchmarks are identified, with examples provided for young infants, mobile infants, and toddlers. General and specific caregiver strategies to promote development in each strand are also presented. Completing the document is a 100-item bibliography of children's literature for infants and toddlers, suggestions for selecting books for infants and toddlers, and a glossary of relevant terms. (KB)