Program for Infant/Toddler Care Selected as National Model Initiative

(12/23/2002) The National Center for Children in Poverty has selected the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), WestEd’s acclaimed collaboration with the California Department of Education, as a model initiative for the support of infants, toddlers, and their families.

In 2001, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) sponsored a national call for nominations of innovative initiatives. PITC was 1 of only 25 that were chosen. PITC’s work is presented on NCCP’s “Promoting the Well-Being of Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families: Innovative Community and State Strategies” Web site: www.nccp.org/it.

“We feel honored to be included in this important resource,” says Sheila Signer, WestEd Senior Program Associate. “It fits so well with our mission of ensuring that all of America’s infants get a safe, healthy, emotionally secure and intellectually rich start in life.”

The website offers resources and links for advocates and policymakers to promote awareness, policies, and programs targeting the needs of infants and toddlers. As a precursor to the complete report, the current site shares some of the creative solutions that PITC and the other selected initiatives have developed to overcome common challenges.

“Research in the last 20 years has reinforced what we intuitively know about the needs of infants and toddlers,” says Signer. “The explosion of knowledge about how infants and toddlers develop has led to a whole new appreciation for the ways in which a baby’s earliest experiences set the stage for later emotional competence and achievement. It is ironic that, at the same time we are gaining this appreciation, more and more very young and vulnerable children are being cared for by caregivers with little training and inadequate support. It is crucial that those who work with vulnerable young children have access to quality training and better pay in order to provide the quality of knowledgeable care that babies need.”

Since 1986, PITC has brought together research, theory, and practice to create a comprehensive training system for infant/toddler caregivers, including broadcast-quality videos, print materials, training institutes, regional training opportunities, and demonstration programs. Hundreds of trainers and thousands of caregivers nationwide have been reached by PITC training and materials, many of which are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese (Cantonese).

For more information about PITC and its services and products, contact Signer at 415.289.2314 or ssigner@WestEd.org, and/or visit the PITC website: www.pitc.org.