We hope that we are moving way beyond an "either-or" debate about child care. The question is not whether children should be in child care, the issue is about how infants, children, and families can best be supported and how each family can have the best available information and options to pursue what is best for them. The challenge is to support families and child care providers so that the quality of care improves in all settings where infants and children are cared for, and that quality is reflected by nurture of parents as well as their children.
-T. Berry Brazelton, MD, FounderBased on Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's extensive clinical practice and research, the Touchpoints approach emphasizes the building of supportive alliances between parents and providers around key points in the development of young children. " Touchpoints" are predictable periods in a child's development that can disrupt family relations. These are times of disorganization that we value as opportunities to support family strengths and optimize children's development.
Early Care and Education (ECCE) providers have opportunities for Touchpoints practices every day. These are opportunities to form strong relationships with whole families, partner with parents' strength and vulnerability, and build a shared understanding and honoring of who each unique child is. ECCE providers are vital allies with parents in their children's development.
Learn more about the Touchpoints in Early Care and Education Initiative.
- Touchpoints Staff Training and Professional Development: Contributing to Head Start Performances
- Touchpoints Theory of Change & Companion Guide
- A Review of Early Care and Education Literature: Evidence Base for Touchpoints
Brazelton Touchpoints Center
1295 Boylston Street, Suite 320, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 857-218-4451 / Fax: 617- 730-0060
eMail: touchpoints@childrens.harvard.edu