For the Child

1. To establish and maintain a safe and healthy physical environment which allows children to discover, create, explore, experiment, observe, discuss and share.
   
2. To provide a child centered curriculum with a balance and variety of activities including: quiet and active, structure and freedom of choice, age and developmentally appropriate practices meeting the social/emotional, cognitive, physical, cultural and linguistic needs of children.
   
   
3. To make on-going, authentic assessments of children.
   
   
4. To foster positive self-esteem through appropriate choices, multicultural and anti-bias curriculum, consistent enforcement of rules, meaningful experiences to express growing independence and self-reliance.

For the Parent and Family

1. To build a partnership between school personnel and families.
   
   
2. To provide parent education and resources to help parents understand how children learn and to assist with parenting skills.
   
   
3. To view parents as important contributors to the program as well as the children's first teachers.
   
   
4. To provide opportunities for parents to attend committee meetings, volunteer in the classroom and with field trips, network with other parents, and have regular conferences with teachers.
   
   
5. To maintain open and on-going communications between site personnel and parents.
   
   
6. To include parents in assessment and planning for their children.
   
   
7. To include parents in program evaluation.

For the Staff

1. To establish an environment of trust with open and supportive communication between site personnel, office staff and administration.
   
   
2. To encourage on-going professionalism, advocacy and education within the field of child development.
   
   
3. To motivate staff through training, leadership, and conference attendance in order to enhance skills.
   
   
4. To ensure needed materials and supplies.
   
   
5. To provide opportunities to move up the career ladder.
   
   
6. To maintain optimum working conditions, salaries, and fringe benefits.

For Home Providers

1. To act as a liaison between the certified adult and the family child care provider.
   
   
2. To provide training, assistance and input into each child's developmental profile.
   
3. To inform caregiver of issues that directly impact children, their families, the child care community and/or state funding.
   
   
4. To include each provider in the self-review and program evaluation process.
   
   
5. To provide technical assistance through site visits, handouts, newsletters, training opportunities, curriculum planning, materials, special needs resources, and meetings.
   
   

For the Food Program
To help the in-home provider to establish and maintain exemplary meals and healthy environments for children in their care by providing:

1. A complete orientation to the program upon enrollment including maintaining proper records for reimbursement purposes



2. Initial and on-going in-home technical assistance



3. On-going information through newsletters, nutrition handouts, and workshops



4. Assistance with meeting the cultural and individual nutritional needs of children and families