Manuals/Booklets/Pamphlets/Policies

Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 4th Edition contains guidelines on the development and evaluation of the health and safety of children in early care and education settings. Hard copy version of the book can be purchased from the bookstore of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Updated 3/2022

This entirely online updated guide on the federally supported Child Welfare Information Gateway supports working with parents, caregivers and children to prevent child abuse and neglect. The guide describes protective factors that reduce the risk of child maltreatment, as well as strategies and practices for supporting families. In addition to a directory of national organizations, the guide offers tip sheets on parenting topics in English and in Spanish. Go to the website, and then search for or select the title "Strengthening Families" to access these materials.

The CCHC Tool Kit contains many resources that CCHCs can use in their work with early education and child care programs. Some are available or can be ordered online; others are available using web links to their sources listed in the resource section of this ECELS website.  Occasionally, a question may arise that is not addressed by the items listed in the Tool Kit. For these, you can contact other health and safety professionals who have the needed expertise. If you are located in Pennsylvania, for further assistance contact ECELS-Healthy Child Care PA by phone at 800-243-2357 or 484-446-3003 or by e-mail at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. CCHCs from other states may contact Healthy Child Care America, a national center managed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP/HCCA) at http://healthychildcare.org or the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care at www.nrckids.org. 11/2012

This updated addendum to the Tool Kit for Child Care Health Consultants highlights resources to develop and implement policies and practices to support improved nutrition, physical activity, breastfeeding and screen time.  The tool kit includes codes for PA NAP SACC items to easily identify resources for specific quality improvement goals.  A group of statewide partners helped to revise the tool kit in 2017-18.  Also updated 9/2019.

Federal law requires that the publication called "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" must be reviewed, updated as necessary and published every 5 years. The 2020-2025 guidelines development process is underway now.  The guidelines emphasize calorie balance to achieve and sustain a healthy weight, as well as a focus on nutrient-dense foods and beverages. Policy-makers use these guidelines to develop educational materials and carry out nutrition-related programs. Use the weblink, Dietary Guidelines, to access the website of the United States Department of Agriculture for the current guidelines. Reviewed and reaffirmed 5/2018

Brochure that describes the role of a sanitarian or food safety consultant for early education and child care programs. Reviewed and reaffirmed 11/2012

This pamphlet describes how to find a child care health consultant to provide technical assistance and instruction on health and safety for staff and families. The brochure also describes how to assess the knowledge, skills, and work of health professionals who provide health and safety consultation and professional development for early childhood programs. Child care health consultation is an evidence-based practice.  The brochure can be used by early educators, health consultants and policy makers  to define and discuss the role of child care health consultants.  Reviewed and reaffirmed 10/2018

This new quick reference guide provides child care directors, teachers, and caregivers with essential information on managing emotional and behavioral issues in group care settings.

Topics cover social-emotional development, biting, napping difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder, gender development, self-stimulation behaviors, and more. In addition to behavioral issues commonly seen in small children, epigenetics, medications, toxic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and how to help children who have undergone traumatic experiences are touched on by the editors.

The book contains 25 quick reference sheets on topics such as ADHD, ASD, depression, tantrums, and separation anxiety. In addition, sample daily report forms, medication forms, and other informative documents to support working with young children are also included in this comprehensive guide.

Case studies are also presented on various difficult situations with small children in a classroom setting and discuss how these situations might be handled.

To order this book, go to the AAP bookstore at www.aap.org. Updated 3/2022

Managing Chronic Health Needs in Child Care and Schools: A Quick Reference Guide, 2nd Edition helps teachers and caregivers address the challenges of caring for children with chronic health conditions and special health care needs in child care and school settings. The health issues covered include chronic illnesses, acute situations, and selected developmental and behavioral problems, with a special emphasis on children with special health care needs. More than 50 quick reference sheets on specific conditions provide teachers and caregivers with guidance on how to help at a glance. New quick reference sheets include Childhood Obesity, Eczema, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Food Allergies, GERD, and more.  To order this book, go to the AAP bookstore at www.aap.org. Updated 3/2022

The newly revised and updated fifth edition is aligned with the most recent version of the premier AAP source of information on infectious diseases, Red Book®: 2018–2021 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 31st Edition. The robust section of more than 55 quick reference fact sheets on common infectious diseases and symptoms has been expanded to include a new sheet on croup.

Additionally, the forms have been updated to align with Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards; Guidelines for Early Care and Education Programs, 4th Edition, and there is a new form, “Infections Caused by Interactions of Humans With Pets and Wild Animals.” As always, the guide is easy to use, providing clear, authoritative guidance on limiting the spread of infection.

The fifth editon, released in 2021,  of this handy reference about how to prevent and manage infection in group care settings for children can be purchased from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the national organization of pediatricians and other pediatric health professionals.   Revised 3/22.