In collaboration with families of children and youth with special health care needs, health care professionals, public health leaders, researchers, academic institutions, and other Federal partners, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau recently released a Blueprint for Change, a national framework to improve care for the nearly one in five children in the United States who currently has a special health care need. The series of 7 articles include detailed discussions of four critical areas for change: health equity, family and child well-being and quality of life, access to services, and financing of services.

This checklist from the National Program for Playground Safety provides a mechanism for evaluating play areas in four categories: supervision, age-appropriate design, fall surfacing, and equipment maintenance.

This publication presents guidelines and standards on health and safety for early child care and education programs. The topics covered include staffing, program activities, health promotion and protection, nutrition and food services, facilities and environmental health, play areas, children with special needs, administration, as well as licensing and community action. The standards on the website are more current and frequently updated compared to the PDF version.

This set of resources highlights effective approaches early childhood educators can take to supporting young children who have experienced trauma and to building relationships with the families of those children.

The Children’s Defense Fund is a non-profit child advocacy organization. Its website contains information on programs and campaigns, related policies and research, as well as information on how one can be involved in advocating for children.

This report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress provides guidance for pediatricians and other pediatric health care providers in recognizing and managing the behavioral and mental health symptoms exhibited by children who have been maltreated. In addition to summaries of the consequences of maltreatment, the report discusses currently available treatment approaches.

This publication presents the DEC recommended practices for early intervention and early childhood special education. These practices are based on the best available research as well as the professional wisdom and experience of the field.

This collection from the Children & Nature Network provides tools and resources for cities to work to bring nature’s benefits to children 0-5 where they live, play, and learn. Included in the collection are a research digest, city case studies, and implementation guides to support promising practices.

Intended for parents and childhood professionals, the E.A.T website aims to provide educational materials and resources as well as strategies for better feeding of young children.

This online article summarizes the findings of a recent study suggesting that despite increased number of families eating together did not have an impact on children’s academic performance and behavior in school.

A new study — a rare effort that focuses solely on the father’s involvement in an infant’s life — shows a striking link between the support that dads offer and better infant outcomes. The research sought to answer several questions about paternal participation in breastfeeding and the use of safe sleep practices for babies. The results showed that fathers play a crucial role in both. Read more at https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/16/health/fathers-infant-health-breastfeeding-wellness/index.html?emci=9bc169e3-0a11-ee11-907c-00224832eb73&emdi=e9f0d441-c711-ee11-a9bb-00224832eb73&ceid=6814801

The website by first2000days.org provides information on useful research supporting the importance of the early years and the benefits of quality early childcare and intervention (especially in the context of North Carolina). Included in each section are related video clips and fact sheets. The website also provides information on avenues for individuals to advocate for early childhood issues.

As life becomes a little bit safer, I hope you are getting more hugs like these little ones are.

This site contains various resources on health and nutrition for young children, some of which are in Spanish.

This document presents the curriculum map of the Child, Health, Safety, and Nutrition course with a focus on inclusion and making adaptations for cultural, linguistic and ability diversity. Included are links to the related online and media resources.

This website by the American Academy of Pediatrics offers families and caregivers information on various aspects of caregiving such as healthy living, safety, and prevention. Resources are organized by age, from prenatal to young adult. (NOTE: If asked for a username and password, click CANCEL and you’ll be redirected to the site)

This kit, supported by the Nemours Health and Prevention Services, is designed to help families and professionals incorporate healthy physical activity and nutrition habits into everyday routines. Content, which is available in English and Spanish, has three sections: Get Moving, Food & Drink to Grow On, and Every Day Is a Healthy Day, includes poems and songs, posters, activities, reproducibles, and family newsletters.

This literature review synthesizes the research on various socio-cultural influences on physical activity in young children at home and at school. Implications for research and policy are discussed. A summary of studies and their measurement and findings are presented as well.

Developed by ZERO TO THREETM, Little Kids, Big Questions is a series of 12 podcasts that discuss issues that parents of infants and toddlers typically face. In each podcast, an expert explains how to apply research to practice in parents’ interactions with their young child. Podcasts and transcripts are available in English and Spanish. Links to additional resources are also available for each podcast.

This Head Start website highlights the evidence-based connections between health and each domain of development by provide multiple examples.

Each state profile highlights demographic and contextual data related to the well-being of young children.

Targeted at families, early educators and child care providers, policy makers, and health care professionals, the NRC website provides access to resources and information regarding health and safety guidelines, state licensing and regulation, and child care. The website is also available in Spanish.

Check out free resources on how to select, adapt, and use toys to support young children in developmentally appropriate play and activities.

In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop published an essay about the importance of providing young readers with diverse books that reflect the “multicultural nature of the world” in which we live. In the essay, Dr. Bishop coined the phrase “Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors” to explain how children see themselves in books and how they can also learn about the lives of others through literature. Dr. Bishop makes the point that it’s crucial for children to view themselves in the books they read. Here are resources for learning more about Dr. Bishop and how she has influenced the early childhood field

This webpage contains a brief commentary on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children and key recommendations for improving food marketing to children. Links to related articles on food and beverage marketing are also included.

This handbook is intended to guide child care providers regarding creative and healthy ideas for nutrition and wellness of young children. The handbook contains practical tips for planning meals and activities.

Presented by the Arizona Department of Health Services, this video clip discusses the importance of physical activity for young children and offers suggestions on implementing activities in childcare settings. It also includes considerations for children with disabilities.

This May 2015 issue of the Future of Children reviews the strongest evidence to date on how best to promote child health and discusses what interventions and strategies work best at various stages of children's development. It includes articles specific to promoting child health in the early childhood years and the importance of family-centered programs and policies.

The position statement from the Division for Early Childhood outlines the expected role of special education professionals who directly support and care for children with disabilities who have been maltreated or are at risk due to factors within their environment. It also provides action recommendations and guidelines for working with families.

Infants whose mothers participated in a mindfulness-based program during pregnancy had healthier stress responses at 6 months old, a new study found. This is the first known study to show that a prenatal social intervention may improve health outcomes in offspring. It is really well established that maternal stress in pregnancy increases the risk for health problems in children.

This second edition contains the updated CFOC national standards for nutrition, physical activity, and screen time for early child care and education programs as well as intervention strategies to prevent obesity in young children for families, teachers, professionals, and policy makers. Links to related standards and a list of references are available for each set of standards. A PDF version is also available.

PBS Learning Media provides a variety of educator and family resources in English and Spanish. This lesson helps those new to outdoor learning set up routines and transitions for learning outdoors.

This executive summary presents briefly the six recommendations by the DEC in their position statement on promotion health, safety, and well being of young children with or who are at-risk for disabilities and developmental delays.

This document contains brief descriptors of various child care health and safety resources. The resources are organized according to three categories: a) websites and other electronic resources, b) manuals, books, and publications available through the AAP bookstore, and c) research articles and evidence-based policies.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) program provides a host of free, downloadable resources for building or improving nature space from How-To Guides for schools and Nature Play at Home guides for home. The Nature Play at Home resources are available in English and Spanish.

Visit the Safe to Sleep® website to view or order FREE educational materials, read myths and facts about safe infant sleep, find tummy time tips, and discover other helpful resources related to reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Recently posted materials are available in English and Spanish.

This webpage contains a video library with clips on providing a safe environment for babies to sleep. It also contains a list of resources providing information on infant safe sleep. Information in Spanish and Arabic is also available.

This webpage contains national standards for various safe sleep issues such as practices, providing a safe sleep environment, education and training, polices and other related issues. Within each standard, links to related standards and related references are provided.

This chapter presents an overview of the sanitation policies and procedures and the rationale for these policies. Links to related standards are provided.

Please join us for a stroll down “making memory lane” where we will unpack the many ways in which children's books can play a significant role in supporting each and every child and family. In this webinar we'll explore the concepts of mirrors, windows, and sliding doors, selection criteria that enable children to both have their lives reflected and to gain insight to the lives of others. We'll reveal a new checklist for examining books for bias, offer high-quality resources that share Black and Asian experiences, and share ways in which children's books can be used to enhance STEM learning for children with and without disabilities. Access to books in multiple formats and languages will also be part of this look at how to build literacy and learning into an early childhood course or across an early childhood program. Presenters: SCRIPT-NC team with Hsiu-Wen Yang and Sarah Pedonti from the STEM Innovations for Inclusion in Early Education Center

Looking to increase the emphasis on playful and intentional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning experiences in your early childhood higher education offerings? This webinar will offer ideas for how to systemically bring a STEM lens to any course. Language/literacy + STEM – yes, please! Family engagement + STEM – of course! And wait until you see how nicely STEM can snuggle into child development, health/safety/nutrition, or practicum courses. The presenters will share tools and examples for meaningfully integrating an emphasis on STEM into courses and field experiences in ways that support each and every child and family.

This technical assistance paper explores the benefits of outdoor time for infants and toddlers and provides suggestions for creating outdoor play spaces, safety considerations, and strategies and policies that support this important part of quality infant-toddler programming.

This research overview by the North American Association of Environmental Educators details the overwhelming evidence that Early Childhood Environmental Education provides many benefits for children, such as increased learning in mathematics, science, language, and literacy, enhanced social and emotional skills, and improved physical development. Check out NAAEE’s “Guidelines for Excellence: Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs” for information and tips at https://cdn.naaee.org/sites/default/files/final_ecee_guidelines_from_chromographics_lo_res.pdf.

Research summarized in this report reveals that 45% of children in the US have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience. Economic hardship and parental divorce or separation are the most common, both nationally and in almost every state. The prevalence of other adverse childhood experiences (including parental incarceration, parental death, and other experiences) varies by state and by race and ethnicity. Black and Hispanic children are more likely than white children to have had at least one adverse childhood experience.

Clear evidence indicates that the trauma of separation under highly stressful circumstances can have lasting effects on the affected children. This evidence brief describes scientific evidence on the effects of child separation and the implications for public policy.

This position statement from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides policymakers and other stakeholders an overview of trauma-informed integrated care and its importance for children who have experienced trauma, as well as policy-relevant and child trauma-focused recommendations to assist them in their response to child trauma and healthcare issues.

The purpose of the CPSC is to protect the public from risks of injury or deaths that are associated with consumer products. The website contains information on various topics such as recalls, safety education, regulations, laws, and standards, as well as research and statistics.

Intended for a range of audience including educators, health care professionals and parents, this website contains information on healthy eating, weight management, and physical activity. The website also contains practical resources, materials, and games for parents and educators that can be used to educate children in a fun manner.

This video library from the Early Childhood Education and Training Program contains short video clips on a variety of topics including physical development, environment and environmental hazards, play, and child abuse and maltreatment.

NAEYC's position statement on the importance of early childhood programs in preventing, not just reporting, child abuse.