PITC Module II - Group Care

This module looks at group care in centers and in homes. To ensure that young children become healthy & emotionally secure individuals, it is critical to establish intimate relationships between infants and significant others in their lives.

This module looks at the development of those relationships through the concepts of intimacy in groups, routines of care, and the importance of the environment where care takes place.

Routines as Curriculum - Caregiving routines provide opportunities for caregivers to build close personal relationships with each child while attending to each child’s individual physical, emotional and developmental needs. When carried out responsively and without haste, routines create learning opportunities. This allows time for the child to participate, develop skills and share the joys of communication. The caregiver is likely to find satisfaction in routines when he or she pays attention to the whole child, not just the task.

Primary Care/Continuity of Care - This lesson focuses on the importance of a primary care system for giving infants and toddlers in care the personal relationships and responsive care that they need.

Environments (Part 1) - The caregiving environment provides the setting in which an infant or toddler spends large amounts of time. The setting must meet the growing child’s physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs. Caregivers have many options in designing the environment so that it meets the child’s needs for safety, health, security, comfort and learning in indoor and outdoor spaces.

Environments (Part 2) - This lesson will assist providers in creating spaces that are age appropriate for small groups.

Respectful Care - Learn Magda Gerber’s thoughts on respecting the skills, as well as individual differences, of infants and the importance of observing children.

Module I        Module III        Module IV    Module V