Charting Progress for Babies in Child Care

Promote Continuity of Care

To move toward this recommendation, states may use multiple policy levers, starting from different points. Potential state policies include:

Require that centers and family child care homes assign a primary child care provider responsible for each infant and toddler, through state licensing requirements.
Require that centers implement continuity of care strategies to allow children to remain with their primary caregiver(s) from entry into child care to age three, through state licensing requirements.
Remove any barriers in state licensing requirements to centers operating rooms with mixed-age groups in order to implement continuity of care strategies for children birth to age three. Apply the provider-to-child ratio applicable to the youngest child in the group.

Raise child care subsidy payments to centers and family child care homes that implement continuity of care strategies with low-income infants and toddlers in their care.

Train providers on methods to promote continuity of care by keeping children with the same providers and in the same group from birth to age three, to the maximum extent possible.
Ensure that the standards, design, and incentives of state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) specifically address and encourage use of primary caregiving and continuity of care techniques with infants and toddlers.
Develop and disseminate information and resources appropriate for family, friend, and neighbor caregivers and parents about the importance of consistent early relationships for babies and toddlers.

Visit page: http://www.clasp.org/babiesinchildcare/recommendations?id=0003