Infant Toddler Parents
This web page introduces "State Policy Recommendations". For example, from birth poor quality of child care can cause negative outcomes for children's cognitive, social and emotional. Thus, a low -income family has difficulty in providing high quality child care. In order to support those families, states strive to provide programs to meet their needs by expanding the availability high quality child care.
-
Zero to Three Policy Center policy brief, Infants and Toddlers in child care. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/Z-3_CLASP_Brief_IT_CC_Oct-08.pdf
-
MN Parents Know provides information, resources, and activities for children birth through 12th grade. http://www.parentsknow.state.mn.us/
-
The Developmental Screening Fact Sheet briefly defines child development, developmental delays, screening, and outlines what parents can do to help their children. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/DevelopmentalScreening.pdf
-
Learn the Facts about... this web page introduces topics and facts about developmental milestones such as autism, vision loss, screenings, and ADHD. The Centers for Disease control offers links to additional in-depth information on each of the above topics and much more. Please click on the link below for more information. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/facts.html
-
What Is More Important for Quality in Family Child Care Homes, Caregiver Education or Adult-Child Ratio? This article lends support to higher education and improved childhood outcomes. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/Kwon_brief_2-20-07JE.pdf
-
Back to sleep, Tummy to play is an informational brochure for parents to raise awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDStummytime.pdf
-
"Key Facts About: Minnesota" provides statistical information about children in Minnesota, for instance there are over 300,000 children under the age of 4 in Minnesota. http://www.nccic.org/itcc/PDFdocs/MinnesotaFINAL1.pdf
Early Intervention
-
Finding Minnesota's Early Childhood Programs Made Easier is an internet search page offered through the Minnesota Department of Education to assist parent in locating early childhood programs. https://education.state.mn.us/EarlyLearningServices/search.do
-
Early Childhood Intervention information is offered through a link provided by the Minnesota Department of Education. This website also introduces general information for children with special needs. http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Learning_Support/Special_Education/ Birth_to_Age_21_Programs_Services/Early_Childhood_Intervention/index.html
-
Impacts of Early Childhood Programs include five research briefs related to policy makers and providing effective early child care programs and the influences of these programs on families. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/Impacts_of_ECE_Programs_Brookings_2008.pdf
Social and Emotional Development
-
Selected Minnesota Programs and Initiatives Related to Children's Social and Emotional Development provides a short resource list of programs that are raising awareness and providing information and services to parents and children with social and emotional developmental problems. http://www.mcf.org/mcf/grantmakers/networks/resources/ecfn_programs.pdf
-
Attachment and Bonding - This web site discusses attachment and bonding including the differences between secure and in-secure attachment. In addition how the media affects young children. http://cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/earlyreport/winter91.htm
Physical Development
-
The Medline Plus website, a service of U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, offers a wealth of information regarding infant toddler physical development. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infantandtoddlerdevelopment.html
-
The Centers for Disease Control offers this web page for parents to look at several different aspects of their child's development by age. This is an interactive page that allows parents to choose the child's age and which specific developmental aspect they would like to see. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/interactive/milestones/social_index.html
-
For those with slower internet connections you may like to visit the link below instead. This link offers all of the same information without being highly interactive. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
-
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is another interesting resource for parents that offer a wealth of information on a variety of topics related to health and development. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health
Brain Development/Environment
-
National Scientific Counsel on the Developing Child has put together a research brief discussing recent studies of long term fetal alcohol affects in physical and mental health. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/SB_Fetal_Alcohol_Exposure_PL6.pdf
-
National Scientific Counsel on the Developing Child published a research brief regarding the birthing process and how the mother passes on to the baby certain neurotransmitters that assist the baby during delivery. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/SB_Maternal_Hormones_PL3.pdf
-
National Scientific Counsel on the Developing Child released a research brief regarding the relationship between brain development and chemical influence, researchers look to identify the most severe chemical for infant's brain. Brain development during the prenatal period is highly influenced by the environment. These influences are crucial to the development of brain tissue. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/SB_Prenatal_Exposure_Pollutant_PL7.pdf
-
Zero to Three in collaboration with The Ounce of Prevention Fund created the Starting Smart: How Early Experiences Affect Brain Development to share information with parents and caregivers about how early experiences influence children's brain development. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/startingsmart.pdf?docID=2422The Infant as Onlooker: Learning from Emotional Reactions Observed in a Television Scenario is a research brief that explores infant reactions to negative emotions. There were interesting findings that provide support for infants learning and identifying emotional cues at a very early age, actually before they are even able to understand the situation. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/TheInfantOnlooker-LearningFromEmotionalReactionsObservedInATelevisionScenario.pdf
Mental Health
The Minnesota Thrive Initiative: Promoting the Healthy Social and Emotional Development of Our Youngest Children discusses children's mental health and impacts on developing their social-emotional regulation and early childhood mental health services. http://www.northlandfdn.org/KidsPlus/thrive_factsheet.pdf
Early Language and Literacy
- Effects of shared parent-infant book reading on early language acquisition is a research brief that supports reading with children as early as possible. There are positive effects that can be seen as early as eight months with differences between boys and girls. http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/ITSI/briefs/EffectsOfSharedParent-InfantBookReadingOnEarlyLanguageAcquisition.pdf
-
The National Institute for Literacy has made available A Child Becomes A Reader which is a guide for parents and caregivers regarding childhood literacy. This guide offers suggestions for age appropriate activities with children and gives a list of resources. http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/pdf/low_res_child_reader_B-K.pdf
-
Zero to Three presents information regarding early literacy and what infants and toddlers can do. As well as pointing out that literacy does not just mean reading. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/earlyliteracy2pagehandout.pdf?docID=2681&AddInterest=1145
Child Care
-
Minnesota Childcare Resource & Referral Network introduces available childcare, community health, and education services. http://mnchildcare.org
-
Parents can use this map to help locate available childcare options. http://mnchildcare.org/imm_map.php
-
The Minnesota Department of Human Services website introduces affordable and available child care options for low income families. Early childhood experience determines ones' social and emotional well-being and ideally, it is best if caregivers are able to provide everything a child needs. Yet, it is not easy for low-income families to enroll their children in quality childcare due to cost. Look under A-Z topics and select child care. http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/
-
Positive Parenting Tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer tips by the age of the child as well as links to resources for parents who have concerns or questions about their child's growth and development. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/positive.htm
Modules for Parents
-
When Biting Happens - Explores reasoning for when and why children bite and offers ways to decrease these behaviors. http://inclusivechildcare.org/SelfStudy/infomod/biting.htm
-
Childhood Overweight and Obesity - Explores the meanings of and differences between overweight and obesity. Offers many reasons for these rising issues as well as associated long-term effects. http://inclusivechildcare.org/SelfStudy/infomod/ChildhoodOverweightObesity.htm
-
Fathers of Children with Special Needs - offers tips to fathers, information about parenting styles, and suggestions for new fathers of children with special needs. http://inclusivechildcare.org/SelfStudy/infomod/fathers_of_children_with_special_needs.html
Web Sites
-
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a website that is filled with information for parents and care givers. Please take a few moments and visit the link below and read about your child's milestones, get facts related to children and their growth, link to other trusted websites and more. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/index.html
-
Visit the Minnesota Department of Human Services for more information about health care options for adults, children, and families. Every child needs and deserves to have good health care. Look under A-Z topics and select health care. http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/
-
Zero to Three is a great resource for parents and childcare providers. http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer
-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture website offers several interactive tools to help parents and care providers. This website outlines nutritional needs for people of all ages as well as offering the MyPyramid plan for preschoolers that allows parents to input information specific about your own child to find out where they are at on growth charts, design an eating plan for your toddler, and even includes a child cost calculator. http://www.mypyramid.gov
-
National Sudden and Unexpected Infant/Child Death & Pregnancy loss Resource Center: http://www.sidscenter.org
-
Offers pod casts on a variety of topics
-
Offers multiple supports for parents
-
Offers a variety of information on topics such as "A Parents' Guide to Safe Sleep" and Statistics: http://www.healthychildcare.org/pdf/SIDSparentsafesleep.pdf & http://www.sidscenter.org/Statistics.html
Parent Aware
What is Parent Aware? Parent Aware is a rating tool in place in several areas in Minnesota to assist parents in locating high quality child care facilities. They also offer financial assistance to parents in pilot areas to help cover the cost of high quality childcare. http://www.parentawareratings.org
