Infants and toddlers are impacted throughout the day by various experiences from interactions with providers during a diaper change to exploration of their environment. Responsive care will support infants/toddlers with forming trusting relationships and a sense of security. During the infant/toddler stage, providers will create meaningful and positive experiences for the children through activities which promote motor development, cognitive development and social development. Kessel Kids CcLc utilizes the PLAYbook curriculum to plan and support with providing developmentally appropriate opportunities.
Kessel Kids CcLc practices consistency and continuity of caregivers for infants and toddlers. Due to our lengthy hours of operation, there is generally a second shift, however, we attempt to maintain consistency at all times of day. Providers in the infant/toddler areas should:
- Hold and comfort children who are upset
- Engage in frequent, multiple, and rich social interchanges such as smiling, talking, touching, singing and eating
- Be play partners as well as protectors
- Be attuned to children’s feelings and reflect them back
- Communicate consistently with parent(s)/ legal guardians
- Interact with children and develop a relationship in the context of everyday routines
Infant and toddler curriculum will be based on the child’s development at the time and the child’s individualized capabilities. Opportunities for play will include:
- Those that lessen anxiety and help the child to adapt
- Promotion of exploration and experience
- Promotion of problem solving
- Use of symbols
- Manipulation of objects
- Use of physical skills
- Encouragement of language skills
- Encouragement of self-expression
- Sensory exploration
Infant Area
In order to maintain a clean and safe environment, parents will be requested to remove their shoes or slip on a pair of shoe covers over their shoes before entering the infant environment. This will keep the areas clean and safe with consideration that infants spend time exploring on the floor.
Safe Sleep
Kessel Kids CcLc promotes safe sleep practices that reduce suffocation risk and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). An infant will not be placed on his or her stomach to sleep. Infants will be placed flat on their backs unless there is a physician signed sleep position medical waiver up-to-date on file. While infants will always be placed on their backs to sleep, when an infant can easily turn over from back to front and front to back, they can remain in their preferred sleeping position.
Soft and loose bedding will be kept out of sleep environments. These items include but are not limited to such things as pillows, bumper pads, comforters, bibs and any type of blankets. Blankets shall not be hung on the sides of cribs. We ask that blankets be kept at home and not brought to the center for children under the age of one.
Swaddling will not be practiced at Kessel Kids CcLc. There is evidence that swaddling may increase the risk of certain health outcomes. The risk of sudden infant death is increased if an infant is swaddled and placed on his/her stomach to sleep. We believe that although there may be benefits to swaddling, the more serious health concerns that may result outweigh the benefits. We encourage families to dress their infants in appropriate clothing to support them with maintaining temperature if this is a concern.