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Infant & Toddler Group Care

PITC Philosophy & Essential Policies and Ages of Infancy

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Learning ObjectivesParticipants will be able to:

• Explain the PITC Philosophy.

• Identify and describe the three “ages of infancy” including the primary developmental issues and needs of each age.

• Discuss the six essential PITC Policies and describe the ways in which they support optimal development of infants and toddlers in group care.

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The PITC Philosophy• Is an approach to providing care for infants

and toddlers that best matches their inborn capacities and needs.

• Research indicates that infants need responsive care provided in close, caring relationships for optimal development in all learning domains.

• PITC essential policies support the development of warm, nurturing relationships between infants and a limited number of caregivers in an intimate setting.

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Close, Caring Relationships:• Support a child’s social-emotional well being.

• Are at the heart of high quality care.

• Provide trust, comfort and security to children.

• Allow the primary caregiver to make an emotional investment in each infant.

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Fundamental Needs of Infants in Group Care

• For care teachers to be knowledgeable and responsive.

• For care to be inclusive of infants with disabilities and other special needs.

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“Ages of Infancy” Activity

In small groups:

• Discuss the developmental characteristics and needs of infants for the “age of infancy” assigned to your dyad/small group (birth to 8 months, 8 to 18 months, and 18 to 36 months).

• Make a list of program policies and practices that would need to be present in order to meet the needs of each “age of infancy.”

• Each dyad/group shares the results of their discussion.

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Ages of Infancy

The Ages of Infancy: Caring for Young, Mobile, and Older Infants, 1990.

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Three Ages of Infancy: Primary Issues

Young Infant Birth to 8 months:Security

Mobile Infant8 to 18 months:Exploration

Toddler18 to 36 months:Autonomy

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Needs of Young Infants: Birth to 8 Months

• Close contact

• Primary caregiver

• Prompt responses

• Interesting things

• Moderate stimulation

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Needs of Mobile Infants: 8 to 18 Months• Caregiver acts as a secure base

• Safe environment

• Opportunities to move

• Toys at child’s level

• Child allowed to explore

• Care teacher to share child’s joy in competence

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Needs of Older Infants: 16 to 36 Months

• Patience with “NO!”

• Provide guidelines

• Offer choices

• Support fantasy and creativity

• Assistance in play

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PITC Essential Policies and Practices

• Small Group Sizes

• Primary Care

• Continuity of Care

• Individualized/Personalized Care

• Inclusion of Infants with Disabilities and other special needs

• Cultural Responsiveness

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Small Groups• Need separate indoor and outdoor

space so the group does not have contact with other groups during the day.

• General Rule: The younger the infants, the smaller the group needs to be.

• Group size should be limited based on the age of the infants:Young Infants 0-8 mos 6Mobile Infants 8-18 mos 9Toddlers 18-36 mos 12

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Benefits of Small Groups• Protect infants and toddlers from over-stimulation.

• Promote quiet exploration by limiting distractions.

• Allow infants and caregivers to be more relaxed and experience less stress.

• Have smaller “germ pool”, i.e., less illness for children and adults.

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Why Have Primary Care?• Supports a strong relationship between the child and an adult.

• Means one adult is primarily responsible for most of the child’s care.

• Supports a child’s need for stability with the consistent attention from one adult.

• Is particularly crucial to children with special needs.

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Primary Care (continued)• Allows for partnerships between a caregiver and family as well as specialists working with individual children.

• Supports children’s identity and cultural connection to the family.

• Happens naturally in small family child care.

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Benefits of Continuity of Care• Allows infants to remain with the same caregiver and peers for at least the first three years in care.

• Allows relationships to develop, building trust, which is the basis for exploration, learning, and discovery.

• Supports continuity between families’ cultural practices and program practices.

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Continuity of Care (continued)• Provides a secure base during the rapid developmental changes in the first three years of life.

• Is often built into the family child care model.

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What is Individualized/Personalized Care?

• Adapts to the child rather than vice versa.

• Uses different care strategies for young, mobile, and older infants.

• Respects each child’s unique rhythms, temperament and interests.

• Supports the child’s ability to self-regulate.

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Why is Individualized/Personalized Care Important?• Promotes each child’s development of a healthy sense of self and well-being.

• Honors a child’s developmental abilities, needs, temperament, interests, home language, and the family’s cultural preferences.

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Benefits of Inclusive Care • Inclusive care makes the benefits of high quality care accessible to all infants.

• PITC philosophy supports the inclusion of infants with disabilities and other special needs.

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What is Culturally Responsive Care?

Program policies that are culturally responsive provide care that:• is in harmony with the home culture.• provides representative staffing at all

levels.• uses the child’s home language when

possible.• makes the environment culturally

relevant so that the child feels at home.

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Why is Culturally Responsive Care Important?

Culture is a fundamental building block in the development of a child’s identity.

To be supportive of families, caregivers need to understand how their own beliefs and experiences influence their perceptions.

Caregivers can enhance their practice by listening to family members and being responsive to their needs.

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Activity: How do the PITC Policies Support Relationship-Based Care?• Take a few minutes to silently reflect on the PITC policies.

• With a partner, identify the PITC policies that you currently practice and those that you would like to explore more.