The Program for Infant/Toddler Care

Beginning Together was created in collaboration with the California Department of Education, Child Development Division (CDD) and WestEd, Center for Child and Family Studies as an inclusion support to the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC).

The purpose of Beginning Together is to ensure that children with special needs are incorporated, and appropriate inclusive practices are promoted, in the training and technical assistance provided by the existing cadre of CDE/WestEd certified trainers in the PITC. This is accomplished through a "training of trainers" institute, regional outreach activities, revision/development of written materials, support to institute graduates, and support of inclusive practices in other PITC activities, such as the demonstration programs.

Bright Futures
www.brightfutures.org

Current and emerging preventative and health promotion of infants, children, and families. This site features guidelines for health supervisors; a section for developmental issues and strengths in the infancy period; and related publications.

Child Care and Early Education Research Connections
www.childcareresearch.org

An effective tool for policymakers and researchers that facilitates access to current research and findings, datasets, statistics, instruments, and other analytic tools related to child care and early childhood education.

Child Care Bureau
www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/ccb/

Information on the Child Care and Development Block Grant, links to other Administration on Children and Families sites and other information within the Department of Health and Human Services, with links to other related child care sites.

CIVITAS
www.civitas.org

The CIVITAS Child Trauma Programs at Baylor College of Medicine are attacking child maltreatment in several areas. The Family Information section has information on the effects of traumatic events on children and what you can do to fight child abuse. The site also contains some articles in Spanish.

Council for Exceptional Children
www.cec.sped.org

This professional organization is dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities and the gifted. The Web site offers resources for people working with and advocating for students with special needs.

Department of Health and Human Services - Welfare Reform
www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/welfare/index.html

An invaluable resource for the latest news on welfare reform. You can obtain essential documents regarding child support, child care funds to states, Medicaid resources, and the Welfare Reform Implementation Informational Package. Some of these documents are available in Spanish.

Early Childhood Connections
www.ecconnections.com.au

Parents and Professionals working with young children want up-to-date information. It is often difficult to find time to track it all down. This site contains a treasure trove of links to international publications and resources, research and projects all related to early childhood, as well as information on the early childhood community in Australia.

Early Head Start National Resource Center
www.ehsnrc.org

This site contains a database of all the Early Head Start program sites as well as valuable tips and strategies for trainers and many full text documents on a range of infant/toddler related topics.

Every Child by Two: The Carter/Bumpers Campaign for Early Immunization
www.ecbt.org

This Web site offers resources and information on early immunization. The new 1997 immunization schedule is posted. A program of the American Nurses Foundation, the campaign offers an Immunization Partners Conference and community action activities.

I am Your Child
www.iamyourchild.org

This site provides information regarding key issues in child development, parenting questions, expert advice, resources, and a community action campaign.

National Child Care Information Center
nccic.org

Sponsored by the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, this site provides a central access point for child care related information. It also includes links to other organizations and provides full text documents.

The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
www.nichcy.org

NICHCY is a project of the Academy for Educational Development, operated through a Cooperative Agreement with the Office of Special Education Programs, U. S. Department of Education. This Web site offers information on disabilities and disability-related services for individuals from birth to 22 years. In addition to their publications, NICHCY offers information searches on their database, referrals, and technical assistance.

The National Parenting Center - TNPC
www.tnpc.com

This site offers parenting resources and advice from experts in the field of child development. Professionals may find useful advice and helpful tips to share with parents.

National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care
www.nrc.uchsc.edu

This site has many links to related sites pertaining to child care, child health, special needs, and parenting. You can also find each states child care licensing regulations and the National Guidelines for Out of Home Care Programs - Health and Safety Performance Standards.

Nemours Foundation/Kidshealth
www.kidshealth.org

Developed by pediatric medical specialists, this site offers information on child health to children, parents, and medical professionals. The parenting section offers information about specific illnesses and parent support groups.

Parent's Place
www.parentsplace.com

The Parent's Place site has been in existence for many years and offers a magazine format with articles on all stages of parenting, chat rooms, book reviews, etc. Products are also offered. This is a user-friendly site with information from experts and discussion groups for parents.

Resources for Infant Educarers
www.rie.org

Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) teaches a unique philosophy and methodology in caring for infants. The teachings of Magda Gerber, incorporating respect, quality time, patience and observation are offered in the form of training classes, books and videos. The site is a resource for parents and professional infant/toddler care teachers.

U. S. Department of Education
www.fed-icc.org

A virtual storehouse of resources and information for parents of children with disabilities. The web site is an outgrowth of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council (FICC), a collaboration of several agencies including the Head Start Bureau. FICC facilitates federal, state and local activities related to serving children from birth to age 5, who receive services under federally funded programs such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), child care, health care, and social services.

WestEd
www.wested.org

WestEd's site offers information on all levels of education including the infant/toddler stage. It also has links to more specific content areas such as charter schools, math and science education and standards and assessment.

Zero to Three/ National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
www.zerotothree.org

A national organization dedicated to advancing the healthy development of infants and toddlers, this site offers cutting-edge research, demonstrated best practices, parenting tips, publications, and conference information.