Childcare workers’ and centre directors’ beliefs about infant childcare quality and professional training

Abstract

While there has been extensive research exploring quality in childcare programs for children older than three years, less attention has been directed to the nature of infants’ experiences in centre‐based childcare programs. In this study, six childcare workers and six centre directors located in centre‐based childcare programs in metropolitan Australia were interviewed about their beliefs about quality care and training for infants. In each of the participating centres, the infant programs were also observed using an observational measure that focused on the nature of adult–infant interactions. Both centre directors and childcare workers expressed beliefs that quality in infant care was related to affective dimensions (e.g. care, love, attention) and programming for infants’ learning and development. They also expressed views that infant care training should have a strong practical focus to provide the necessary knowledge and skills for interacting with infants. Only centre directors discussed beliefs about quality programming explicitly in terms of the impact on infants’ learning. Further, the centre directors were more likely to reflect on the nature of staff learning when engaged in infant care training programs. Implications for training are discussed.