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Issues are discussed and recommendations are offered to policymakers on the preparation of practitioners to work with infants, toddlers, and their families. Section I examines eforts to define "competence" for practitioners and programs. Section II describes in detail four key elements of training for infant/family practitioners, illustrating how they can be incorporated into different educational models and settings. Section III provides examples of promising approaches to enhancing competence through training in preservice, inservice, and continuing education, profiling 10 programs, such as the Interdisciplinary Specialization in Infancy Program of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the Clinical Supervision Seminar, Erickson Institute (Chicago); Support Network of North Carolina; San Francisco General Hospital's Infant-Parent Program; and the Chronic Illness Teaching Program at Michigan State University. Section IV suggests priorities for collaborative action among policymakers, parents, educators, and professionals to improve training of infant/family practitioners. Appendix A outlines a set of core concepts in non-technical language that can form a knowledge base common to parents, policymakers, educators and trainers, and other professionals across disciplines. Apendix B lists resources for further information. (RH)

Addressed to parents, this publication discusses issues and offers recommendations on the preparation of providers of services to infants and their families. Section I discusses parents as consumers of infant/family services. Section II discusses parents as leaders in policy development, including policies affecting the training of infant/family practitioners. Section III discusses parents as trainers of infant/family practitioners. Providing an agenda for action, section IV suggests priorities for collaborative action among parents, policymakers, educators, and professionals to improve the training of those who work with infants, toddlers, and their families. An appendix lists resources for further information. (RH)

Written for faculty members, administrators, and trainers in a variety of educational settings, this publication discusses issues and offers recommendations on the preparation of professionals working with infants, toddlers, and their families. Section I identifies four key elements in the training of infant/family practitioners and describes these elements in the context of professional education. Section II discusses the relationship between training and demonstrated competence. Offering an agenda for action, Section III suggests priorities for collaborative action among policymakers, parents, educators, and professionals to improve the training of infant/family practitioners. Appendix A provides examples of promising training approaches; Appendix B lists sources of additional information. (RH)

This publication offers a framework for thinking about the issues surrounding the preparation of personnel who work with infants, toddlers, and their families. Also provided are a common language with which to communicate across disciplines and recommendations for collaborative action to improve training for all infant/family practitioners. Section I reviews some of the difficult training issues confronting professionals and their organizations, such as role clarification, respect, and relationships. Section II describes the variety of settings and service programs that employ infant/family personnel in myriad roles, differentiating domains of professional concern in fostering infant/toddler development. Section III examines efforts to define "competence" for practitioners working with infants, toddlers, and their families. Section IV outlines in seven areas a set of key concepts which underlie all sound practice with children and families in the first 3 years of life. Section V looks at four elements of training that seem to foster competence and describes their use in preservice, inservice, and professional development activities. Section VI suggests priorities for collaborative action among parents, policymakers, educators, and professionals to improve training of infant/family practitioners. Appendix A provides examples of promising training approaches; appendix B lists sources of additional information. (RH)