Parents who depend on child-care centers need to know the policies of their center and to keep in mind that those policies are designed to keep disease outbreaks from spreading to all children.

Parents and grandparents often face the challenge of deciding what toys are appropriate for their children or grandchildren. The same thing is true of child-care providers seeking new toys for their child-care centers.

Child-care environments play an important role in the healthy growth and development of infant and toddlers. Since infants and toddlers spend a large portion of their day in routines such as saying hello or good-bye, getting dressed, diapering, toileting and mealtime, the child-care environment should reflect these important shared learning times. The environment provided for infants and toddlers should be welcoming and responsive to both children and their families.