Janet Poole has worked in early childhood education since 1970 and has helped develop and expand WestEd's Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) since its inception in 1986.

Developed collaboratively by WestEd and the California Department of Education, PITC is a comprehensive training system that promotes responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers. Poole and her PITC colleagues worked with the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families to develop the Early Head Start program, and have presented training institutes and technical assistance for numerous programs throughout the nation serving families with children from birth to three.

A member of WestEd's Center for Child and Family Studies (CCFS), Poole serves as Co-Director of PITC Partners for Quality. PITC Partners for Quality is a statewide network of infant/toddler specialists who provide on-site training, coaching, and reflective action planning to approximately 300 programs each year. More than 150,000 hours of on-site services have been provided since 1999. Several research studies have documented the positive outcomes of these services in improved program quality and more positive child outcomes.

Poole serves as a faculty member of PITC's Trainer Institutes, which help educators, program managers, and caregiver trainers give the best care possible for each child. These intensive sessions help trainers deepen their understanding of the content of each PITC module and acquire skills based on the concepts in the PITC videos and guides.

From 2005 to 2007, in collaboration with Whole Child International, Poole oversaw the PITC training and provided technical support for two orphanages in Nicaragua and El Salvador. In 2006, Poole, along with CCFS Co-Director J. Ronald Lally, participated as a member of a training and technical support team for Rusescu Pediatric Hospital in Bucharest, Romania.

Prior to joining WestEd, Poole worked as the administrator in the California Department of Education’s Child Development Division, overseeing the Professional Development Unit that created the major early childhood professional development infrastructure for California.

She also acted as the Region IX State Administrator for the Administration for Children and Families and was the Director of the Head Start/State Collaboration Office.

Early in her career, Poole created and directed the Dixon Migrant Infant/Toddler Center. The Bureau of Material and Child Health used data collected by Poole to develop the first infant/toddler community care licensing standards.

Poole's teaching experience includes the Regional Occupation Program and Careers with Children, as well as numerous human development courses as an adjunct faculty member at Sacramento City, American River, and Sierra community colleges. In addition, she has presented a number of papers on early childhood education.

As a member of the Partners for Quality Leadership Team, Poole received the 2003 WestEd Paul D. Hood Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Profession.

She received a BA in child development from Sierra College and an MA in elementary education with an emphasis on early childhood education from California State University, Sacramento.