INFANTS, TODDLERS AND VIOLENCE: DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY RESPONSE (FROM CARING FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS IN VIOLENT ENVIRONMENTS: HURT, HEALING, AND HOPE, P 20-22, 1994, JOY D OSOFSKY AND EMILY FENICHEL, EDS.)

• NCJ Number: 145969
• Author(s): J R Lally; M M Segal
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 3 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
• Publication Type: Training (Aid/Material)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper provides guidelines for the development of a child-care program that can provide a "safe haven" for children who live in violent communities.

Abstract

Whether or not infants and toddlers have been traumatized by violence, they need the security of a close relationship with two or three special people. A child-care setting that invites parent participation and listens to parents' concerns protects the bonds between parent and child. A child-care program should assign a consistent caregiver to each child; this caregiver should stay with the child over several years. All infants and toddlers need to have an environment that is safe, well-organized, and homelike. The caregiver must have special training in early childhood development and a strong affinity for young children. Knowing when to encourage autonomy and when to provide the safety and security of limits is particularly important. Infants and toddlers also need the security and predictability of a familiar routine. This paper presents lessons from the Family Development Program, a component of Syracuse University's comprehensive Family Development Research Program. A longitudinal study has shown this program to be successful in reducing delinquency when participants were compared with a control group.