Cultural differences between parents and caregivers in infant and toddler programs must be considered. What is viewed as quality care can differ based on cultural background. While there is some agreement on health, safety, and child development standards, theoretical views of childrearing may be biased. Ensuring coordination between home and program is important for quality care across different cultures.

1. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN
INFANT AND TODDLER
PROGRAMS

2. Cultural differences between the
parents and the caregivers must be
taken into account. It is easy for
caregivers to respect parent’s wishes
for their children when their
childrearing ideas coincide. Many of
the theories and research on infant
care in this country are based on
studies of white, middle-class infants.

3. Even our theoretical understanding of
what is good for a child may be biased.
As Shimoni et al. (1992) have pointed
out, it is very difficult to reach
agreement about what constitutes
“quality care” for infants and toddlers,
but some agreement about how to
handle issues such as health and
nutrition, safety, child development and
the learning environment,

4. Interactions and relationships,
group size and ratios, coordination
of home and programs, and
management of child care services
are essential in a quality program.

5. Generational and gender gaps
are also real (Gonzalez-Mena
and Eyer 1993). Older
caregivers may have different
ideas than young parents.

6. A father’s methods of caring for
the baby are seldom the same as
the mother’s. Male caregivers also
respond to infants differently than
females do.