Project CREATE.

Bridging the Gap in Training for Infant/Toddler Child Care Providers

Based on the association between specialized training and the quality of care infants and toddlers receive, there is a critical need to increase the number of trained infant and toddler providers.

The need for accessible, high-quality infant and toddler care has increased significantly due to a growing awareness of how crucial the first three years of life are to brain development, coupled with an increase in the number of families needing out-of-home care. Despite this need, the majority of child care for infants and toddlers fails to meet quality standards (Helburn, 1995). One critical factor in promoting quality care is the education and training of child care providers. Project CREATE (Caregiver Recruitment, Education, and Training Enhancement) was developed to address this factor in community-based child care programs in the state of Delaware.

According to the Children's Defense Fund (1999), approximately 6 million U.S. infants and toddlers are placed in out-of-home care. This number is likely to escalate as a consequence of welfare reform. As the need for child care continues to grow, research on how the environment affects brain development has reached a critical mass (Lindsey, 1998; Shore, 1997). Science has shown what caregivers always have known: the first three years lay the foundation for a child's cognitive, social, and emotional development, setting the trajectory for life (Lally, Mangione, Honig, & Wittmer, 1988; Teo, Carlson, Mathieu, Egeland, & Sroufe, 1996). Articles in general readership publications such as Newsweek (Begley, 1996) and Time (Nash, 1997) have brought this message to a wide audience. Policymakers and the public are beginning to realize that steps must be taken to ensure quality programs for infants and toddlers (Newberger, 1997).

Child Care Providers and Quality Care

Despite the growing concern regarding the quality of infant and toddler child care, several national studies indicate that infant care may be putting some children at risk (Galinsky, Howes, Kontos, & Shinn, 1994; Helburn, 1995; Whitebook, Howes, & Phillips, 1989). In one study, over 90 percent of the infant and toddler classrooms evaluated were rated as mediocre or worse, with 40 percent rated as potentially harmful to infant and toddler development (Helburn, 1995). Given this situation, it is imperative that programs be developed to address the quality of care that infants and toddlers receive.

Although many components contribute to child care quality, including group size, adult-child ratio, and staff wages (Clark-Stewart & Gruber, 1984; Helburn, 1995; Howes & Olnick, 1986), factors specific to the provider are key (Dunn, 1993; Phillipsen, Burchinal, Howes, & Cryer, 1997). Training and education level are strong predictors of the quality of care that providers will offer children (Arnette, 1989; Cassidy, Buell, Pugh-Hoese, & Russell, 1995; Dunn, 1993). In the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's (NICHD) 10-state study of early child care, researchers found that formal education level and specialized training were related to less authoritarian beliefs about child rearing, which was, in turn, associated with more sensitive infant caregiving (NICHD, 1997). Based on the association between specialized training and the quality of care infants and toddlers receive, there is a critical need to increase the number of trained infant and toddler providers.

Currently, educational opportunities designed specifically for infant and toddler child care providers are few (Lally, 1995). Furthermore, issues related to the unique experience of caring for infants and toddlers often are not addressed in early childhood classes/training. Such training historically has focused on the 3- to 5-year-old range, due to the greater number of such children attending out-of-home care, the availability of funds to support programs serving children in this age range (e.g., Head Start), and an ambivalence about the appropriateness of infants and toddlers being cared for in group settings (Belsky, 1988; Fein, 1994; NICHD, 1996).

Simply providing more training focusing on caring for infants and toddler is not enough. All training is not equally effective in creating change (Sexton et al., 1996). Evidence suggests that college-level courses are particularly helpful in providing a training experience related to high-quality interactions (Arnette, 1989; Cassidy, Vardell, & Buell, 1995; Phillipsen, Burchinal, Howes, & Cryer, 1997; NICHD, 1996). Many child care providers are hesitant to enroll in college-level courses, however. They may find tests and the general atmosphere of college to be intimidating (Cassidy et al., 1995). In many cases, it is a lack of confidence, rather than ability, that keeps them from attending courses.

Providers confront other barriers to taking college-level courses, such as cost. Based on figures provided by Helburn (1995), the average child care provider earns $15,017 annually (based on a 40-hour work week), and the average assistant teacher earns $11,856. In some cases, center-based teachers have their inservice training paid for by the center. For family child care providers, however, the money for training comes out of their own pockets. Furthermore, college courses often are scheduled at inconvenient times for child care providers. Likewise, a semester can be a long-term commitment. Given the ever-changing dynamics of providers' lives, they may be unable to make a 13- to 16-week commitment.

Most important, the pedagogical approach used in many college classes often does not fit the needs of adult learners. Research on adult learning suggests that the course content and pedagogical approach must fit the needs and learning style of the adult learner. Adults will reject information that is too different from their everyday experiences (Zemke & Zemke, 1984). Furthermore, adult learners consume new information and incorporate this information in relationship to their existing knowledge base, building on what is already known, rather than discarding previous experiential knowledge (Saracho & Spodek, 1994). Several researchers have suggested that more creative approaches are needed to make training and educational programs more effective for this population. Among the strategies that have been suggested are role-play and simulation (Winton, 1990), as well as demonstration and practice (Hanson & Brekken, 1991; Odom, 1987). Inservice training may be made more effective if follow-up support and assistance is available (Bailey, Palsha, & Simeonsson, 1991).

Project CREATE

Project CREATE's goal is to increase the quality of child care providers' caregiving practices, as well as the quality of infant and toddler caregiving settings, through an incentive package, responsive scheduling, adult-centered pedagogy, and technical assistance. Project CREATE also serves as a bridge between community-based training and college-level course work. The program offers college-level work in a community-based format. The developers hope that success with this training program will encourage providers to take more college-level courses.

The Project CREATE model offers user-friendly, applicable information in a program designed to maximize provider success. The Delaware Department of Child Care Licensing provides the funding for this initiative, using money from the state's Child Care and Developmental Block Grant. Project CREATE targets center-based and family child care providers who are currently providing services to children under the age of 3. A format of three 1-credit modules allows participants to benefit from the course content in manageable segments. If personal issues arise or the provider finds the program is not for her, she can withdraw after one module and still receive one college credit. The classes are essentially free, in order to encourage provider participation. The provider pays a $50 deposit in order to register for each module. This money is reimbursed after successful completion of each module. Books also are provided free of charge. In addition, the participants receive a graduated stipend: upon completion of one module, the provider receives $40; after completing two modules, the provider receives an additional $80; and after completing all three modules, the provider receives an additional $120. This money can be used to purchase supplies and equipment.

The modules are modeled after the "Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers" (California Department of Education/WestEd/Far West Labs, 1990-1999). The three 1-credit modules cover social-emotional development, cognitive development and learning, and environments and group care. The modules are infused with information on cultural diversity and working with children with special needs. To accommodate the providers' schedules, the modules are offered on weekends or in the evenings. To make the sessions less intimidating, many hands-on activities are used; very little information is delivered through lectures.

On-site technical assistance is a key component of Project CREATE. In order to make the information from the modules relevant, the program coordinator visits the programs at least once during every module. During these visits, the coordinator models developmentally appropriate interactions and demonstrates techniques reviewed in class. In addition, the coordinator provides suggestions for environmental changes and new approaches to curriculum development. Participants learn to take information from the course and tailor it to meet their specific program needs. This gives the provider an opportunity to receive additional support in addressing programmatic concerns. The program coordinator also uses the visits to boost self-confidence by pointing out specific examples of high-quality care demonstrated by the providers.

Several writing assignments are required as part of each module. The project coordinator is available to edit work and provide assistance with the computer.

Project Evaluation

In the evaluation component of Project CREATE, the program coordinator conducts a pretest screening of the participants' child care setting, using the Infant and Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (Harms, Cryer, & Clifford, 1986) or the Family Day Care Environmental Rating scale (Harms & Clifford, 1989). The program coordinator also administers the Arnette Sensitivity to Children Scale (Arnette, 1989), and conducts at least three follow-up visits over the course of the three modules.

At the time of this writing, the program is concluding its first program year and, therefore, final evaluation data are not available. However, some initial improvements can be credited to providers' participation in the program. As part of their assignments, providers submit action plans for taking the information from the modules and implementing it in their classrooms. Some providers have substantially changed the arrangement of their environments, to create a setting more in tune with their children's developmental levels. Other caregivers focused on adapting their discipline style to encourage more self-discipline and other developmentally appropriate methods of guidance (e.g., prevention, redirection). Several caregivers wanted to share the information they learned in class with the parents of the children they serve, by such strategies as parent meetings and special bulletins.

Similarly, preliminary results suggest that this approach to training may encourage providers to continue with their college-level course work. All of the 18 providers who completed the first three module offerings did so in sequence, which in effect meant they participated in a semester's worth of college work. In a survey to assess the effect of Project CREATE on the providers' professional development plans, 9 out of 17 respondents indicated that CREATE supported their prior decision to take college courses. All eight who had not considered college prior to participation indicated they are now considering taking college courses.

Another encouraging result of this training is the formation of a provider support group. Without prompting, the providers collected each others' telephone numbers and made plans to stay in contact. Project CREATE hopes to formalize this step by asking certain providers to mentor new Project CREATE participants. The project's planners hope that by providing mentors in addition to technical assistance, interactive/hands-on curriculum, accessible schedules, and financial assistance, participants will feel more comfortable in a college atmosphere and will continue their pursuit of a higher education degree.

Implications

The ambivalent attitude towards infant care adversely affects caregiver training (Fein, 1994; Honig, 1994). The importance of a child's first three years of life makes it essential that caregivers be qualified to offer meaningful, sensitive care. As we explore and develop ways to support training for infant and toddler caregivers, we must be mindful of the larger contextual issues.

In the field of early education, we have begun to grapple with the tension of having a professional development model based on inservice training (Azer, 1997) when many indicators point to the need for preservice education (NICHD, 1996). The "Quality 2000 Initiative" (Kagan & Neuman, 1997) suggests that child care providers need to be licensed. Recently passed Head Start reauthorization legislation calls for at least 50 percent of all Head Start teachers, including those in Early Head Start programs, to have an associate's degree within five years. If these goals are to be realized, we must pursue strategies that help child care providers enter the realm of higher education.

Developing user-friendly introductory college courses can facilitate the transition from community-based training to college course work. Introductory courses offer the provider a non-threatening entry into a college environment (Bean & Meter, 1989; Buell, 1999). The development of such courses, however, should occur within a broader framework that helps providers earn college degrees. Agreements that allow community-based training to articulate with college courses, and for associate degree programs to articulate with four-year programs, are another critical component in the process (American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators & National Association of Early Childhood Educators, 1994). This last piece is particularly important if providers are to continue moving up the professional development "lattice" (Willer & Bredekamp, 1993).

Moreover, courses need to be offered in a format that accommodates providers' work schedules. As one Project CREATE participant commented, "I highly enjoyed the workshop type of class. With my busy lifestyle, committing to a semester of one time a week class is too much. I would finish my degree if I could take classes like this."

Furthermore, technical assistance to promote changes in the actual care setting is needed to make service training effective, whether it be college- or communify-based (Bailey, Palsha, & Simeonsson, 1991). Placements for preservice students usually are picked by the instructor. The sites for these experiences usually are selected to demonstrate certain practices, or to help preservice students gain experience in new classroom environments. By contrast, in inservice training, most of the opportunities for hands-on applications are in the provider's own work setting. Therefore, technical assistance and support is needed to address various aspects of these environments that may need attention, or to offer suggestions for improvement. By providing such technical assistance, inservice training can more closely mirror preservice training.

Finally, it is important to create policies that support providers who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees. In this way, providers can act as a support system for each other, making the unfamiliar landscape of college courses less threatening (Mutter, 1992; Tinto, 1993; Wolfe, 1993). Providers who are already successfully negotiating the system can act as mentors to new students (Whitebook & Bellm, 1996).

Conclusion

Programs such as Project CREATE can help providers make the transition from community-based training to more formal training opportunities. These courses offer community-based child care providers the professional training needed to ensure quality programs for infants and toddlers. Such courses must be sensitive to the unique needs of child care providers, however, by offering a range of supports, including on-site technical assistance and low-cost enrollment. Moreover, programs that accommodate providers' schedules, assist with registration and enrollment, and offer hands-on experiential learning will facilitate providers' entry into the college community. This support, in turn, will increase the likelihood that providers will continue with their professional development and, in so doing, help create more high-quality care for the most vulnerable children--infants and toddlers.

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Martha Buell is Assistant Professor, Department of Individual & Family Studies, University of Delaware, Newark. Rena Hallam is Instructor, Early Childhood Education, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Jennifer Adams is Program Coordinator, Project CREATE, University of Delaware. Kathy Wilson is Professional Development Manager, Dela-ware Office of Child Care Licensing.