New Jersey's First Steps Infant/Toddler Program Development Initiative
State:
NJ
Region:
2
Category:
Accountability & Evaluation; Child Care; Facilities; Financing; Professional Development; Professional Development; Quality Improvement
Status:
Active
Year Started:
1999
Administered By:
Educational Information and Resource Center
Description:
The First Steps New Jersey Infant/Toddler Initiative was created to assist early educators in offering the very best possible care for New Jersey’s youngest citizens. Three regional agencies - Programs for Parents, Inc. (Northern NJ), Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County (Central NJ), and the Southern Regional Child Care Resource Center, EIRC (Southern NJ) - serve as lead agencies for the 16 child care resource and referral agencies across the state.
First Steps offers on-site professional development opportunities for participating programs. Topics include: best practice standards that will address brain development and reflective practice for infant and toddler caregivers. Upon request, additional technical assistance is offered to individuals or programs interested in establishing or expanding services to infants and toddlers. First Steps also assists early care providers in achieving the NJ Infant/Toddler Credential.
First Steps includes a statewide system of infant/toddler specialists, who provide comprehensive services for training and technical assistance and to enhance the development of child care programs (licensed centers and registered family child care providers) serving infants and toddlers, birth to age 3.Consultation services are provided to early educators on-site or via telephone. Technical assistance also includes: site observations, pre and post ITERS/FCCERS assessments, development of a program improvement plan and access to a lending library. Services provided by infant/toddler specialists include: * Program assessment; * Promoting and supporting the expansion and development of new programs serving infants and toddlers; * Promoting and supporting quality enhancement initiatives in existing programs that serve infants and toddlers; * Providing training, on-site consultation, and technical assistance; * Conducting research and soliciting grant opportunities designed to support, expand and enhance programs serving infants and toddlers and * Promoting the Infant/toddler credential