The National Infant & Toddler Child Care Initiative has launched three Learning Communities: Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks, Infant/Toddler Credentials, and Quality Rating Systems & Infant/Toddler Child Care.

Infant/Toddler Specialist Networks

An Infant/Toddler Specialist is an individual whose job it is to provide support to professionals and caregivers who provide early care and education to infants and toddlers. Many States have established a network of infant/toddler specialists to help enhance the quality of care provided for infants and toddlers in a more systemic way. The Infant/Toddler Specialist Network Learning Community has established an environment that is conducive to sharing experiences with each other in order to enhance the work each of the nine states is doing to infant/toddler caregivers.

Quality Rating Systems & Infant/Toddler Child Care

A quality rating system (QRS) is a tool to evaluate the quality of an early childhood program. An Infant and Toddler QRS is a set of specific elements within the larger QRS that specifically address high quality care for infants and toddlers. Quality rating systems have the potential to affect quality through financing, licensing, policy, program standards, and public awareness and are an increasing popular strategy used by States and Territories to improve the quality of care. The members of the QRS Learning Community share experiences and knowledge that have helped improve the quality of early care and education settings by ensuring that the unique needs of infants and toddlers are well-defined as States develop or refine their QRS.

Infant/Toddler Credential

The infant/toddler credential (ITC) is a strategy for developing and sharing knowledge about specific elements of the early care and education system that support quality infant/toddler child care. The goal of the ITC Learning Community is to share and develop knowledge that will help provide professional development opportunities that can translate to formal recognition of individuals that work with infants and toddlers and/or their caregivers in early care and education settings. Each State/Territory developed its own goals and objectives, and workgroups across States have been formed to work on shared goals.