The world is a new and exciting place for an infant! One Hope United’s Infant Care program offers a safe and stimulating environment which allows children to move freely and explore materials. Nurturing staff engage in meaningful interactions with infants during this critical period of learning. Teachers work closely with families to create an individualized schedule to meet the needs, development, and growth of each infant.
Infants develop feelings of trust in others as their needs for food and comfort are met. The routines of primary caregiving are enacted by caregivers through individualized responsive interactions. Social development begins when infants smile, recognize, and seek out familiar faces.
Infants learn by engaging their senses and through active exploration. Our Infant Care program provides opportunities to move about and experience a variety of textures, sounds, tastes, smells, shapes, and colors that are challenging and enjoyable. The role of caregivers is to talk, sing, and play simple games to stimulate curiosity and to provide materials appropriate to each stage of infant development.
Infant activities encourage the practice of basic skills, such as reaching and grasping, rolling, sitting, walking, and climbing. Small muscles develop as children begin to feed themselves, as well as through play with a variety of toys.
Infants and toddlers rely on the reactions to their behaviors to determine right from wrong. Caregiver guidance that is consistent, firm, and lovingly applied is what children depend on in order to learn the fundamental ways of relating to others.
Our daily schedule provides for flexibility and is based upon the individual needs and interest of each child. Children are fed when they are hungry, changed when needed, nap when they are tired, and learn and play when they are awake and alert.
Throughout the day we provide an abundance of opportunities for each child to receive nurturing care, assistance with developmental growth, language, and social skills. Children will also receive one-on-one attention working on skills necessary for tummy time and these special bonding times will help the children form trusting relationships with their primary caregiver.
