What You Will Learn
You will become equipped to implement the six infant/toddler program policies recommended by WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) to achieve high-quality standards of care in early education:
- Primary Care
- Small Groups
- Continuity of Care
- Inclusion of Children with disabilities or other special needs
- Responsive Care
- Culturally Sensitive Care
The PITC Trainer Institutes contain four modules, each with specific content areas.
Each PITC module is anchored in research findings and presented in a way that makes the research relevant to practitioners.
Who Will Benefit
- Educators
- Program managers
- Infant/toddler program directors
- Site supervisors or educational coordinators
- Staff from child care resource and referral agencies who train family child care providers
- Infant/toddler curriculum specialists
- Community college, university, or college instructors who teach infant/toddler courses
- Independent trainers for infant/toddler care teachers or family child care providers
- Trainers who work in high school vocational, parent and teen education, early intervention, and special needs programs
Module I: Social-Emotional Growth and Socialization
- Social-Emotional Milestones – Responsive Caregiving
- Temperament and Individual Differences in Group Care
- Understanding Children’s Behavior
- Guidance and Discipline with Infants and Toddlers in Group Care
Module II: Group Care
- Primary Care and Continuity of Care
- Group Size and Individualization of Care
- Setting Up Environments for Infants and Toddlers
- Daily Routines in Group Care Settings
Module III: Learning and Development
- Cognitive Development and Learning
- Language Development and Communication
- Special Needs
- Brain Development in Infancy
Module IV: Culture, Family, and Providers
- Working with Families in Culturally Sensitive Ways
- Harmonizing Cultural Diversity
- Using the Process of Acknowledge, Ask, and Adapt
- Protective Urges
Service Details
The PITC Trainer Institutes are conducted several times per year, alternating between California and East Coast locations.
Additional PITC Institutes can be conducted by arrangement nationally and internationally.
Each Institute is one week long and consists of two PITC Modules, described above.
- Institute A = Modules I & II
- Institute B = Modules III & IV
Modules III & IV may be taken prior to Modules I & II. However, all modules must be completed to obtain certification.
The PITC Institutes:
- Include workshops and interactive seminars
- Are taught by leading experts
- Demonstrate adult learning and teaching strategies
- Provide evidence-based training materials such as PITC guides, trainer’s manuals, and supplementary readings
- Include networking opportunities and professional reflection and renewal
- In California, include a visit to one of the PITC demonstration sites to observe PITC in action
- Link the PITC content to the Head Start Program Performance Standards
- Provide academic units with prior registration
The institutes are presented by WestEd’s Center for Child & Family Studies, in collaboration with the California Department of Education (CDE), Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD).
What Makes This Service Unique
Thousands of trainers have benefited from the PITC philosophy and relationship-based curriculum.
Developed collaboratively by WestEd and the California Department of Education, PITC is a comprehensive training system that promotes responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers, and employs evidence-based training materials and strategies for the early education field.
PITC is an integral part of the California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development System and has helped to establish California as a national leader in efforts to improve the quality of care and education for young children.
PITC faculty members are chosen for their expertise, their ability to relate their knowledge to infant/toddler group care or home-based settings, and their interactive approach to adult learning. A majority of them are renowned authors, researchers, evaluators, and speakers of national and international reach, familiar with Early Head Start standards, EHS issues, and have years of experience as educators and advocates in the infant/toddler field.
Cost
Registration fee: $3,400 for each week-long PITC Trainer Institute.
The registration fee covers:
- Tuition
- PITC infant/toddler care teacher guides, trainer’s manuals, and supplementary reading materials
- Hotel accommodations (double occupancy)
- Most meals (three dinners on your own)
Fellowships are awarded by the California Department of Education. Fellowship recipients must be California residents and meet eligibility requirements.
Learn More
For additional information and to apply online, visit the PITC Trainer Institutes Application page. Questions? Contact Keiko Tahara at ktahara@wested.org.
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