Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/using-the-caregiver-assessment-scale/5011525/
While early childhood education has a relatively short history, shorter still is the inclusion of infants and toddlers in this picture. It wasn't until 1987 that a complete description of standards and appropriate activities for infants and toddlers was published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (Bredekamp, 1987). Today, the relevance of and need for developmentally appropriate programs for infants and toddlers is widely acknowledged. As the number of infants in alternate child care arrangements continues to increase, it appears that child care information and programs have finally come into an age of their own (Kagan, 1994; Katz, 1994).However, despite progressive strides in research, legislation, and advocacy aimed at improving child care services in the country, uncertainty prevails among those involved with the care and supervision of infants and toddlers. Some nagging questions frequently asked by caregivers remain: How does one implement developmentally appropriate activities with infants and toddlers? Can the efficacy of these activities be assessed? And how does one measure the caregiver's abilities and practices relative to infant outcomes?
In an effort to answer some of these questions, as well as to assist directors and providers in their quest for providing quality infant ...