Ø       Train the trainers: The infant and toddler specialists supervise trainers and manage the training courses in their region. There are currently 90 trainers throughout the state who are certified by WestEd in four PITC modules—Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization; Group Care; Learning and Development; and Culture, Family, and Provider—and a module on infants and toddlers with special needs. The state covers the cost of the PITC training, but each trainer must agree to deliver 45 hours of voluntary training to infant and toddler providers in return. Ninety-five percent of those who have participated in the train-the-trainer series have received their certification.

Ø       PITC training: In FY 2006, 400 infant and toddler providers attended the 50-hour PITC course (including six hours on the Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale [ITERS]), which is provided at no cost to participants. The infant and toddler specialists conduct outreach in their communities, encouraging a range of providers to participate (including those caring for five or fewer children, whom the state does not require to be licensed or registered.) The IA-PITC training stipend (Training Plan Program) provides a $250 stipend to approved providers who complete the 50-hour course. The training plan program is available to providers in centers and family child care homes on a first come, first served basis. Program directors who agree to attend with providers are given priority, as are providers who agree to care for young children with disabilities. Generally, training sessions are on evenings and weekends, as most participants continue to work full-time in the early childhood field. Through a partnership with the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS), foster and adoptive parents may also participate in PITC training. Training participants include infant and toddler providers, parents, Early Head Start teachers, and family child care providers.

Ø       Technical assistance to providers: The infant and toddler specialists also provide six to 10 hours of technical assistance to each center-based or family child care provider who commits to participating in the 50-hour training course.

The national PITC (Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers) training model is designed to promote relationship-based, emotionally responsive caregiving for infants and toddlers. The goal of the Iowa PITC network is to increase the number of infant and toddler caregivers who participate in training and technical assistance as part of a comprehensive approach to professional development. The Iowa Child Care and Early Education Network created a database to capture program outputs, such as demographic information on training participants; the database will be linked to the state’s professional development registry. Iowa is conducting an ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of the components of the training initiative in conjunction with WestEd. Although the evaluation is not complete, it appears that the combination of training and consultation may yield the best results.

Initially, the Iowa Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers (IA-PITC) network was funded by Head Start Administration for Children and Families Region VII funds as part of the state’s Head Start–state collaboration allotment and the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) infant and toddler earmark. Since 2002, the program has been funded through the CCDBG infant and toddler earmark, via the Iowa Department of Human Services. In state fiscal year 2007, IA-PITC was funded at $801,796.

From 2001 to 2003, the administration of the Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers (PITC) network was housed at the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS). After this, the Iowa Child Care and Early Education Network (a child care resource and referral agency) managed the program for two years through a subcontract with the state. Recently, the PITC network returned to DHS, which is also responsible for child care licensing, the child care subsidy program, the Quality Rating System, and the training registry.

The Department of Education administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and C programs. Local Part B and C Area Educational Agencies (AEAs) are under local education agencies and offer professional development. In some cases, the regional infant and toddler specialists contract with Iowa PITC trainers to offer teachers the opportunity to take PITC training for graduate credit, as part of the recertification process. Most teachers who opt to do this work in the special education field.

• There is a need for a greater supply of high-quality infant and toddler slots.

• Iowa does not have group size regulations.

• Policymakers and the general public need to realize that quality care for children birth to three is an integral part of pre-kindergarten and school readiness. Now that pre-kindergarten has gained momentum, the timing is right to implement programs for young children. Thus far, the governor supports programs for children under age three primarily via empowerment zones (which provide funding to local areas in order to address the needs of children birth to five through $6 million in funding from federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds and state school readiness funds).

• Cultivate public support for birth to three programs, and emphasize that quality child care is related to the education of the teacher.

• Plan carefully, and recognize that quality initiatives take several years to come into fruition.

• Collaborate early in the process with other stakeholders in the state early childhood system.

• To improve an initiative, track your impact by conducting ongoing assessment.

Interview with Beth Walling, Iowa Department of Human Services, on February 9, 2006 and updated on April 12, 2007.