rough start in life in the highest quality of care.

Maltreatment during the first three years of life is of utmost concern. Not only are the numbers of harmed infants and toddlers staggering, maltreatment during this vulnerable period alters children's development in such a way that it robs them of reaching their full human potential. As an infant-toddler child-care provider, you are a "first responder" to this national crisis, playing a key role in the early identification of maltreatment and unhealthy patterns of development. You can be a gateway to healing.

In Trauma-Sensitive Care for Infants, Toddlers, and Two-Year Olds, discover practical advice and strategies to nurture harmed children and start them on the path to healing.

• Create spaces that communicate safety.
• Provide predictable routines.
• Nurture connectedness and attachment.
• Use rhythm to support brain development.
• Nurture healthy social-emotional development.
• Use play to encourage self-regulation and self-confidence.
• Care for yourself so you can care for children.

To recover and develop resilience in the face of adversity, infants and toddlers need fully present, playfully engaged, calm, and invested caregivers. There is no margin for error.