A guide to creating and sustaining a high-quality, successful early child care program! This resource illustrates how to build a successful child care program, handle the inevitable challenges, and achieve and sustain positive results. The book examines the basic principles of high-quality early child care within a real setting and with real people. Using their experience in education, child development and child therapy, the authors demonstrate how to: Create an environment that fosters healthy relationships for children and adults; Build children's academic and social-emotional skills in preparation for later learning; Use families' ethnic and cultural diversity as a teaching tool; Maintain professional standards for administration and staff.