Child Care Resources for Providers

This page collects professional resources I’ve used over the years as a family child care provider. The focus is child development, responsive care, program quality, and practical support for working with young children and families.

These are tools and references I return to often and find useful in real work with children.

Professional Practice & Development

Standards, training, and the professional side of early childhood work.

• Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NAEYC) – A foundational guide to how young children learn and develop.
• Tom Copeland Blog – Practical information on the business side of family child care.
• Family Child Care Program – Program approach and philosophy.

Professional Organizations

Organizations that support early childhood professionals and the field as a whole.

• NAEYC – National organization focused on early childhood education quality.
• Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA) – Statewide professional support for early childhood educators.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) – Advocacy and accreditation for family child care providers.
• Wisconsin Family Child Care Association (WFCCA) – Professional network for family child care providers.

Child Development & Everyday Practice

Practical ideas and resources that connect directly to daily work with children.

• Baby sign Language – Communication tools for infants and toddlers.
• The Perpetual Preschool – Large collection of early childhood activity ideas.
• Toilet Learning – Support for families during toilet learning.

Relationships & Responsive Care

Resources focused on connection, attachment, and responsive caregiving.

• Attachment Parenting International – Information on secure parent-child relationships.
• KellyMom – Evidence-based breastfeeding and early parenting information.
• Babywearing (The BabyWearer) – Information and support for babywearing.
• What Attachment Parenting Is – Overview of attachment-based caregiving.