Recommended Books
Family Child Care
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Better Baby Care: A Book for Family Day Care Providers [Revised Edition]
Washington, DC: The Children's Foundation, 1993. 150 pgs.
An excellent resource whether you are bringing an infant into your family day care home for the first time or you have been caring for infants for years.
Caring for Children in Family Child Care
Derry G. Koralek, Laura J. Colker, Diane Trister Dodge. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc., 1993.
This comprehensive, self-instructional training program for family child care providers covers the 13 Functional Areas of the Child Development Associate (CDA) Competency Standards.
Volume 1 [386 pgs.]
Covers safe, healthy, learning environment, physical, cognitive, communication.
Volume 2 [425 pgs.]
Covers creative, self, social, guidance, families, program management, professionalism.
Circle of Love: Relationships Between Parents, Providers, and Children in Family Child Care
Amy C. Baker and Lynn A. Manfredi/Petitt. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1998. 130 pgs.
Explores the emotionally charged issue of love in family child care settings. Uses real-life stories to show how parents and providers can work together to meet the attachment needs of children and surround each child with love.
Creating Better Family Child Care Jobs: Model Work Standards
Peggy Haack. Washington, DC: Center for the Child Care Workforce, 1999. 40 pgs.
Describes components of the family child care work environment that enable providers to do their jobs well and continue on the job for a longer time. Many of these standards rely on a greater public investment, so the book is an educational and organizing tool as well as an assessment and planning tool.
Creating Connections: How to Lead a Family Child Care Support Group
Joan Laurion and Cherie Schmiedicke. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2005. 149 pgs.
This book tells how to organize a family child care support group, which is a small group of providers from the same local area who meet together, usually once a month, to socialize, share knowledge and experiences, help each other solve problems with children and parents, develop new leadership skills, and improve the quality of care in their community.
The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care
Revised edition. Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J. Colker. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc., 1998. 253 pgs.
General information on setting up a family child care home and specific suggestions for nine activity areas: dramatic play, blocks, toys, art, sand and water, books, cooking, music and movement, outdoor play.
The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers [Revised Edition]
Amy Laura Dombro, Laura J. Colker, Diane Trister Dodge. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc., 1999. 377 pgs.
A well-organized framework for planning and implementing high quality infant and toddler programs in both center-based and family child care. The authors stress that curriculum for infants and toddlers is all about building responsive relationships, where adults create environments that offer a variety of experiences that interest and engage children and adults take the time to observe how each child reacts to a situation before deciding whether and how to intervene.
Dollars and Sense: Planning for Profit in Your Child Care Business
Janet Bush. Albany, NY: Delmar, Thomson Learning Center, 2001. 163 pgs.
Best practices to help owners of small child care businesses make sound business decisions and raise their level of professionalism.
Family Child Care Providers: the Child Development Associate Assessment System and Competency Standards
Washington, DC: Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition, 1997. 97 pgs.
Describes the CDA Competency Standards, the 13 CDA Functional Areas, and the entire CDA Assessment process for family child care providers. These are useful standards whether or not you intend to obtain the CDA credential.
Family Day Care Rating Scale
Thelma Harms and Richard M. Clifford. New York: Teachers College, 1989. 39 pgs.
A simple method for providers to evaluate the quality of their child care home on a 32-item scale covering space and furnishings, basic care, language and reasoning, learning activities, social development, adult needs, and supplementary provisions for exceptional children.
From Babysitter to Business Owner: Getting the Most Out of Your Home Child Care Business
Patricia Dischler. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2005. 197 pgs.
Excellent advice on family child care business practices: selecting new clients and retaining valued clients, developing and using a thorough parent handbook, selecting an appropriate and manageable curriculum, creating work spaces in your home, and setting long-term personal and business goals.
Get Ready, Set, Grow! : A Preplanned Calendar of Preschool Activities
Eileen Morris and Stephanie Pereau Crilly. Belmont, CA: David S. Lake, 1984. 108 pgs.
An easy-to-use calendar packed full of lesson plans and ideas that will help your days run a little smoother and give children ages three through five lots of worthwhile learning activities.
Helping Children Love Themselves and Others: A Professional Handbook for Family Day Care
Washington, DC: The Children's Foundation, 1990. 134 pgs.
An anti-bias, multicultural, diversity celebrating approach to family child care helps children appreciate each other's differences, develop a sense of fairness, and learn to stand up for themselves and others. This book includes an equity handbook, equity activities, and a resource guide to equity materials for young children.
Opening Your Door to Children: How to Start a Family Day Care Program
Kathy Modigliani, Marianne Reiff, Sylvia Jones. Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1987. 69 pgs.
This warm, readable book tells how to set up your own family child care home.
Quality Standards for NAFCC Accreditation
2003 edition. Salt Lake City, UT: National Association for Family Child Care, 2003. 32 pgs.
The NAFCC accreditation system's quality standards for family child care providers cover relationships, the environment, activities, developmental learning goals, safety and health, and professional and business practices.
Room for Loving, Room for Learning: Finding the Space You Need in Your Family Child Care Home
Hazel Osborn. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1994. 109 pgs.
The value of family child care lies in making full use of the family home, not confining children to a small play room, but that may put a strain on family life. This book is filled with ways to create a balance between the family home and the child care home, to make the space work for the provider's own family, the children in care, and the provider herself.
Tips and Tidbits: a Book for Family Day Care Providers
Janet Gonzalez-Mena. Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1991. 66 pgs.
Practical information and advice to help you solve some of the most persistent problems in your work with children: difficult separations, children who lie or tattle, how to calm children, how to improve naptime, and much more.
Tips from Tina: Help Around the House: Hundreds of Practical Ideas to Make Family Child Care Easier and More Fun
Tina Koch and Mary-Lane Kamberg. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1995. 120 pgs.
Tips to simplify routines, organize your home, make your time with kids more fun, and make your family child care business run more smoothly.
A Trainer's Guide to Caring for Children in Family Child Care
Diane Trister Dodge, Derry G. Koralek, Debra D. Foulks. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc., 1994. 240 pgs.
A book to help those who train family child care providers effectively use Caring for Children in Family Child Care in workshops, courses, on-site training, and mentoring.
A Trainer's Guide to The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care
Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J. Colker. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies Inc., 1991. 122 pgs.
This book for trainers and family child care coordinators contains detailed workshop outlines and guidance for doing training and technical assistance in the provider's home using The Creative Curriculum for Family Child Care.
Village of Kindness: Providing High-Quality Family Child Care [2nd Edition]
Joan Laurion. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Extension, 1997. 254 pgs.
This wonderful book focuses on the relationships in family child care, using stories and insights from a diverse group of Wisconsin providers to make the material come to life. It is also the textbook for the Village of Kindness videos and telecourse.
A Year of Fun: Just for Babies
Theodosia Sideropoulos Spewok. Torrance, CA: Totline Publications, 1995. 31 pgs.
Fun activities for each month of life from birth to 12 months, songs and poems to enjoy together, and helpful hints that cover typical development month-by-month.
A Year of Fun: Just for Ones
Jean Warren and Theodosia Sideropoulos Spewok. Torrance, CA: Totline Publications, 1995. 31 pgs.
A calendar of month-by-month activities with the top page in each month devoted to 12- to 18-month-olds and the bottom page devoted to 18- to 24-month-olds.
A Year of Fun: Just for Twos
Theodosia Sideropoulos Spewok. Torrance, CA: Totline Publications, 1995. 32 pgs.
Information on the typical development of two-year-olds and a month-by-month calendar of activities to encourage learning.
Redleaf Business Series
Tom Copeland. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
Family Child Care Contracts and Policies: How to Be Businesslike in a Caring Profession [2nd Edition]
1997. 81 pgs.
A complete guide to establishing and enforcing policies and contracts with parents. Includes many contract and policy samples and other important forms.
Family Child Care Legal and Insurance Guide: How to Reduce the Risks of Running Your Business
2004. 207 pgs.
How to research and purchase insurance and protect your business against lawsuits.
Family Child Care Marketing Guide: How to Build Enrollment and Promote Your Business as a Child Care Professional
1999. 135 pgs.
Dozens of marketing tips to help you set rates, promote your business in inexpensive ways, and maximize your enrollment and income.
Family Child Care Record-Keeping Guide [7th Edition]
2004. 196 pgs.
Valuable information for keeping accurate records of your business expenses and income and for saving money on taxes.
Family Child Care Tax Workbook and Organizer
Updated annually. 310 pgs.
Step-by-step instructions and forms to make it as easy as possible to do your taxes.
Madison, Wisconsin 53716