Program for Infant/Toddler Care

The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) is a comprehensive evidence-based training system designed to support the healthy development of infants and toddlers in early care and education settings. The program provides training and resources for caregivers and educators to create nurturing, responsive, and developmentally appropriate environments for young children ages 0 to 3.

The PITC approach moves beyond developing lessons for infants and instead gives providers the knowledge to discover ways to allow, expand, adapt, and encourage infants and toddlers to pursue learning activities that foster development and independence.

To support implementation, PITC provides professional development and free, openly available resources and additional resources available for purchase for infant/toddler providers and the communities they serve.

Professional Learning

Are you seeking a high-quality, responsive, relationship-based approach to care? Are you an education leader responsible for training infant and toddler caregivers? 

PITC’s onsite and virtual professional learning options are tailored to the needs of each participating individual, program, or group, delivering a comprehensive, actionable study of our philosophy and recommended practices that quickly get you started with providing high-quality infant and toddler care. View learning opportunities.

“I learned the value of Small Group settings and building connections with the children and parents—developing a safe and comfortable environment.”
— PITC Training Participant

Curriculum

Are you an early childhood provider desiring an in-depth understanding of the PITC approach to infant and toddler curriculum planning? Try the comprehensive curriculum program and training

The PITC Curriculum is unique and purposeful—with a focus on ages 0 to 3 and an emphasis on relationship-based and individualized care, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, and meaningful partnerships with families. Using an intentional and reflective planning process that focuses on learning in the five domains of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF), the PITC curriculum offers the guidance necessary to support learning and development. Keep exploring.

“It [the curriculum] is terrific, so respectful and responsive to individual children, to the knowledge that families have about their children, and to the group of children. AND it gives teachers a (perhaps) new view of themselves as curious investigators who are collaborating with children and families.”
— PITC National Cohort Participant

Background

In 1985, the California Department of Education (CDE) initiated an effort to increase the supply and quality of infant/toddler child care and development services in California by partnering with WestEd. Together, the CDE and WestEd, assembled a team of child and family researchers, childcare experts, and media specialists to begin the development of a multimedia training system for infant/toddler group care providers.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, PITC has grown to become the major provider in California with nationwide presence in the creation, distribution, and delivery of infant/toddler care materials (video and print) and training/professional learning (institutes, graduate events, conferences, outreach, and community-based training of care teachers). A Regional Support Network (RSN) of PITC-Certified Infant/Toddler Specialists conduct training and coaching throughout California and nationally. PITC provides professional development institutes in 20 states, as well as for Early Head Start.

“Wonderful program with usable and realistic tools.”
— Participant from 21–22 cohort