Michigan Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infant and Toddler Programs
The two major sections of this document, “Early Development and Learning Strands for Infants and Toddlers” and “Quality Program Standards for Infant and Toddler Programs,” can be used both independently and together, but make the most sense when they are consulted as a package. The early development and learning strands are first in this document so that the focus is where it needs to be, on the children, with anticipated outcomes identified. The statements of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes delineated in the goals in each of the early learning strands that infants and toddlers will begin to develop are followed by examples of experiences and caregiver strategies that will help very young children develop and learn in that area. The program standards define characteristics of early childhood settings that are associated with these results for the youngest children. When programs display the high-quality standards and caregivers provide the kinds of experiences and utilize the strategies in the document, the children are more likely to begin to reach the goals we set for their development and learning.