Infant Toddler Specialist Networks Resources
Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks are a relatively new and promising strategy that States and Territories have implemented to improve the quality of child care and support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Infant/Toddler Specialists provide support to the infant/toddler field through a variety of approaches, which may include coaching and mentoring, consultation, training, train the trainers, and technical assistance.
The widespread development of Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks began with the introduction of targeted funds by Congress in 1998 that established a portion of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) for quality care of infants and toddlers. Before this 1998 legislation, California had led the way in establishing its network. As of June 2009, 22 States had an established Infant/Toddler Specialist Network.
NITCCI has provided a number of resources to assist States and Territories as they establish Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks and has provided technical assistance at individual state and national levels.
NITCCI Resources
- Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks Fact Sheet (2007)
This fact sheet includes a map showing the States that have Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks and describes each State's approach. It also includes a chart that details each network’s funding sources, staffing levels, and start-up year.
Audio Conference Call Handouts
- Consulting in Child Care: The role of the Infant/Toddler Specialists, (March 2007)
Webinars
- Region I Consultants in Child Care Settings Serving Infants & Toddlers: An Overview of Types, Requirements, Initiatives, Standards, and Supports (April 2009)
Read more about this webinar here
View and listen to the webinar, click here.
Resources
- Region I Consultants In Child Care Setting Serving Infants & Toddlers: An Overview Of Types, Requirements, Initiatives, Standards, And Supports - Dianne Stetson, State Technical Assistance Specialist, National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative
843 KB - Working With Child Care Settings Serving Infant & Toddlers
96 KB - Rhode Island’s Mental Health Consultation Initiative Blythe Berger, RI Department of Health & Susan Dickstein. Ph.D., Brown University
2,705 KB - Maine’s Collaborative Consultation Initiative & QRS Connection- Kristen Slefinger, Early Childhood Division, Office of Child and Family Services, Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Kristen.Slefinger@maine.gov - Connecticut’s Multi-Disciplinary Consultant Initiatives- Peter Palermino, Program Manager, Family Services Unit, Connecticut Department of Social Services.
881 KB - Overview of Region I Infant Toddler Modules for Consultants Project- Grace Whitney, Ph.D., M.P.A., Connecticut Head Start State Collaboration Office, Department of Social Services
48 KB 62 KB 58 KB
Resources from the May 2006 Birth To Three Institute, one-day Pre-Institute Session
- Agenda (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
241 KB - Key Facts About Children Birth to 3 Years: United States (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
Profile provides a national picture of children from birth to age three, their families, and the child care system that serves them.
75.2 KB - Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks Fact Sheet (Updated March 2007)
Infant-Toddler Specialists are individuals whose job it is to provide support to professionals and caregivers who provide early care and education to infants and toddlers. This fact sheet includes a map showing the States that have Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks and describes each State's approach. It also includes a chart that details each network’s funding sources, staffing levels, and start-up year.
233 KB - Impact of Training and Education for Caregivers of Infants and Toddlers (Research-to-Policy Connections No. 3) (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This brief, published by Early Care and Education Research Connections in 2005, adds to the small but growing body of knowledge about what approaches to training and education of Infant-Toddler caregivers are more likely to increase the quality of their care. It describes research findings on a small number of training initiatives targeting infant and toddler caregivers where quality was observed before and after the training.
562 KB - Responsive Caregiving: An Annotated Resource List (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This annotated list includes organizations, programs, and publications that may be useful in understanding how to build secure, attached relationships with infants and toddlers. Infant-Toddler Specialists may use the listed resources to inform themselves and their work with Infant-Toddler caregivers.
57.7 KB - Early Learning Guidelines
The development of early learning guidelines for 3- and 4-year olds is one of the three goals included in the Good Start, Grow Smart initiative. Many States and Territories are including early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers in their work on this goal. This fact sheet describes special considerations in developing early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers, including those with special needs, and explains how early learning guidelines differ from program standards. It also provides links to State and Territory early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers that had been identified as of April 2006. To view this page, click here. - Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Personnel Sample Position Descriptions (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This resource is a compilation of position descriptions for Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Personnel from various States.
188 KB - Sample Day in the Lives of Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Personnel (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
These resources provide a snapshot of a sample day in the life of three types of positions in an Infant-Toddler Specialist Network: - Key Steps for Creating an Infant-Toddler Specialist Network (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This resource outlines seven steps for creating an Infant-Toddler Specialist Network. It also provides links to examples of products that States have developed as they have implemented some of the steps.
60.1 KB - Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Statements of Work (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
States implementing Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks use different procedures to select the agency or contractor that will house the Network. This resource provides examples of Statements of Work that include expected outcomes, activities, and guidelines for Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks in three States.
80.6 - Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Organizational Charts (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
These organizational charts show State examples of where the Infant-Toddler Specialists and Infant-Toddler Specialist Coordinators are located within the specific organizations that house an Infant-Toddler Specialist Network in two States. - Mentoring, Coaching, and Reflective Practice: An Annotated Resource List (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This annotated list includes publications that provide information about three strategies-mentoring, coaching, and reflective practice - that Infant-Toddler Specialists can use to support Infant-Toddler caregivers.
44.9 KB - Infant-Toddler Specialist Networks & State Professional Development Systems (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
The training and technical assistance offered by Infant-Toddler Specialists is an integral part of a system of career development for the Infant-Toddler workforce. This document provides an overview of the training, education and support services offered to the Infant-Toddler workforce within the context of the broader professional development system in three States.
286 KB - Creating a Statewide System of Multi-Disciplinary Consultation for Early Care and Education (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This report, published by the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc. in 2005, describes what child care health consultation is and highlights research about the effectiveness of consultation in a variety of disciplines. It describes lessons learned from State and national child care consultation models, as well as the current policy context related to consultation. The report ends with recommendations for creating a statewide system of multi-disciplinary consultation for early care and education.
(Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut, Inc., 2005)
880 KB - Early Care and Education Systems that Support Quality Care for Babies and Toddlers: Key Elements (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
This fact sheet lists key elements of a child care system that supports quality care for babies and toddlers, and describes the characteristics of each element. It also includes a graphic representation of the system that shows how the elements are inter-related and differentiates elements that impact direct services from those that are part of the child care infrastructure. The Initiative uses this model to help States and Territories map their current system to inform the planning of future work around infant and toddler child care.
221 KB - Connecting Babies and Toddlers to the Early Care and Education System in California (May 2006 Pre-Institute Session)
California implements a variety of activities focused on enhancing the quality of services for children from birth to three years of age with federal Infant-Toddler earmarked funds.