DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET an assistant. It’s not uncommon for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and even schoolagers to be cared for in the same family home. Children in such settings often remain in the same family child care home for several years, giving them the benefit of a primary caregiver and continuity of care during their forma- tive years. The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) and family child care associations in many states offer providers resources and professional development training to improve the quality of their programs. • Licensed early care centers These centers provide more standardized and regu- lated care. Although requirements differ from state to state, licensing usually regulates adult-to-child ratios, group size, hours of operation, teaching prac- tices, teacher qualifications, and health and safety standards. Several models exist: for-profit, nonprofit, state or federally funded, and private corporation- owned or -sponsored. Best Practices in Child Care Best practices in early childhood education (ECE) encourage growth of the whole child in all four developmental domains. (Chapters 6 through 9 provide information on each domain and discuss how to promote their development in caregiving settings.) High-quality ECE settings employ teachers who are nurturing, caring, and knowl- edgeable about child development. There’s no one indicator of quality infant and toddler care. These are the indicators that are widely recognized in the field of ECE: Caregiving and the Early Childhood Professional COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 9