Children At The Center

Children at the Center provides a closely observed account of a decade-long effort to reshape the scope, direction, and quality of the Boston Public Schools’ early childhood programs. Drawing on multiple perspectives and voices from the field, the authors highlight the reflective, collaborative, inquiry-driven approach undertaken by the program and share lessons learned. Boston Public Schools are recognized for embedding high-quality, public preK programs in their system and achieving exceptional results. In this book, the authors outline the core principles that underlie the district’s early childhood programs and explore the role of curriculum, professional development, coaching, and data use in supporting these new initiatives. They show how the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood was able to work with and against the constraints of the current accountability system to create a holistic, child-centered, play-based program that has had a significant impact in narrowing income-based learning gaps. Written in collaboration with the Department of Early Childhood Education, this account of creating successful preK programs in a diverse urban district will provide a valuable resource for practitioners engaged in similar work across the country.

This popular handbook--updated with an easy-to-use guide to infection control in daycare centers and preschools--explains how infections are spread and presents up-to-date guidelines on enrollment requirements, staff education, employee health, care of high-risk children, and investigation and management of outbreaks.

In 1883, a group of women, concerned about conditions for children in Cincinnati's hospitals, proposed establishing a hospital for children. The hospital was incorporated in November 1883 and opened a few months later in a rented three-bedroom house. The hospital admitted 38 children in its first year, and Episcopal bishop Thomas Jaggar, president of the board of trustees, reported that it offered its young patients "the best medical and surgical treatment" as well as "the tenderest care"--a description as true today as it was 125 years ago. From its modest beginnings, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has become one of the nation's most distinguished centers for pediatric care, research, and education. It is a trusted resource in Greater Cincinnati and a national and international referral center. Scientists at Cincinnati Children's have made research contributions that have advanced pediatric medicine at home and around the world.