COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the Nurture Babies & Toddlers course. This course is designed to provide you with the essential knowledge and practical skills necessary to create a nurturing, safe, and healthy environment for babies and toddlers. The course is structured into two sections: Knowledge and Performance, each focusing on critical aspects of childcare.

In section A, we will explore the requirements of the National Quality Standard and related regulations and laws that govern the care of babies and toddlers. You will learn about the recommendations of the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years, which provide guidance on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep for children from birth to 5 years. Additionally, we will cover the concepts of the current National Health and Medical Research Council ‘Staying Healthy’ guidelines relevant to this age group.

Understanding service standards, policies, and procedures is fundamental to providing high-quality care. You will delve into the basic premise and key aspects of attachment theories, which are crucial for fostering secure relationships between caregivers and children. Effective communication with families of babies and toddlers is another key focus, with strategies tailored to different ages and developmental stages.

We will also examine the individual patterns and routines of babies and toddlers, recognising how these may be influenced by family practices and cultural backgrounds. Techniques for supporting learning, development, and wellbeing through communication will be discussed, along with the stages of development, key milestones, and variations across individuals.

The course will introduce you to current and emerging research about brain development in babies and toddlers, safe sleep practices, and sleep patterns. You will learn about appropriate and sensitive nappy changing and toileting routines, the nutritional needs of babies and toddlers, and recommendations for oral health.

We will cover appropriate interactions with babies and toddlers at different ages, understanding their cues and signs, and ways to respond effectively. Hygiene and infection control regulations and procedures, managing risk related to food allergies, and safe practices for working with this age group will also be emphasised.

Section B focuses on practical application. You will learn to provide consistent and positive personal care routines suited to each child’s individual and cultural context. Identifying and initiating opportunities for one-to-one communication during daily routines will support learning, development, and wellbeing.

Recognising and responding to interactions initiated by babies and toddlers is essential for building secure attachments. You will practice providing physical comfort and calm reassurance, enhancing relationship-building skills through observation, discussion, and reflection.

Gathering information from families to assist in the transition from home to care, recognising signs of family stress during separation, and initiating engagement with babies and toddlers while their families are present will be key areas of focus. Daily communication with families about their child’s activities, sleeping, and eating patterns will ensure a cohesive approach to care.

You will learn to prepare cots, bedding, and equipment according to hygiene and safety standards, monitor sleeping children, change nappies, and provide positive toileting experiences. Supporting children sensitively during toilet learning and working collaboratively with families and other educators will be covered.

Promoting positive mealtime environments, attending to individual needs during meals, and following approved standards for the storage, preparation, and serving of food will be taught. You will offer supportive environments for breastfeeding and ensure safe areas for babies to practice gross motor skills.

Supervision is a critical aspect of care. You will learn to supervise babies and toddlers appropriately, ensuring they can explore their environment safely. Providing a relaxed and calm environment responsive to individual wellbeing is also a key learning outcome.

Practical tasks will include changing nappies, preparing and feeding bottles, preparing solid food, responding to signs and cues, settling children for sleep, and encouraging physical exploration. You will complete these tasks with both babies and toddlers, using age-appropriate communication and adhering to service and regulatory requirements.

Finally, documenting and reflecting on the development of relationships between educators and children will support your own practice and the practices of your colleagues, ensuring continuous improvement in the care provided.

By the end of this course, you will be well-equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to nurture babies and toddlers, ensuring their safety, health, and development in a supportive and responsive environment.

This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency CHCECE032.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

Section A: Knowledge

·       Requirements of the National Quality Standard and related regulations and laws

·       Recommendations of the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (birth to 5 years)

·       Concepts of the current National Health and Medical Research Council ‘Staying Healthy’ guidelines relevant to babies and toddlers

·       Service standards, policies and procedures

·       Basic premise and key aspects of attachment theories

·       Features of effective communication with families of babies and toddlers of different ages

·       Individual patterns and routines of babies and toddlers and how these may be impacted by different practices and routines used by various families and their underlying cultural or personal rationale

·       Techniques and opportunities for communication that supports learning, development and wellbeing

·       Stages of development in babies and toddlers, key milestones and how these may vary across individuals and why

·       Basic aspects of current and emerging research about brain development of babies and toddlers

·       Safe sleep practices

·       Sleep patterns of babies and toddlers, and individual variations

·       Appropriate and sensitive nappy changing and toileting routines and procedures

·       Nutritional needs of babies and toddlers as outlined in current National Health and Medical Research Council Infant Feeding Guidelines

·       Recommendations for Oral Health

·       Appropriate Interactions with Babies and Toddlers at Different Ages

·       Cues and Signs Provided by Babies and Toddlers and Ways to Respond

·       Hygiene and Infection Control Regulations and Procedures

·       Managing Risk in Situations Involving Food Allergies

·       Procedures for formula, breast milk and other pre-prepared food

·       Possible parental involvement in feeding and how this can be supported by the educator

·       Safe and unsafe practices for working with babies and toddlers

Section B: Performance Tasks

·       Provide consistent and positive personal care routines suited to the child’s individual and cultural context.

·       Identify and initiate opportunities during daily routines for one-to-one communication with babies and toddlers that supports learning, development and wellbeing.

·       Recognise and respond to interactions initiated by babies and toddlers, and provide physical comfort and calm reassurance to facilitate attachment.

·       Identify ways of enhancing relationship-building skills through observation, discussion and reflection.

·       Gather information from the family to assist in the transition from home to education and care service.

·       Recognise family signs of stress at time of separation and identify appropriate responses.

·       Assist in the transition from home to care through initiating engagement with babies/toddlers while family is still present.

·       Communicate daily with families about their child’s activities, sleeping and eating patterns according to service procedures.

·       Share information with families about sleep and confirm arrangements for sleep and rest.

·       Prepare cots, bedding and equipment according to service hygiene and safety procedures and approved safety standards.

·       Monitor sleeping children according to service policies and procedures.

·       Change nappies according to service policies and procedures.

·       Provide positive nappy change and toileting experiences that enhance relationships and support learning.

·       Adapt experiences to meet the individual child’s routines.

·       Support children sensitively and positively when they are learning to use the toilet.

·       Work with families and other educators to support children’s toilet learning by sharing information and using consistent approaches.

·       Promote positive mealtime environments that are adapted to meet the individual baby and toddler’s routines and needs.

·       Attend to babies’ individual needs during meal times.

·       Follow approved standards for safe storage, preparation, heating and serving of formula, breast milk and other pre-prepared food and drinks.

·       Follow approved standards for cleaning of associated equipment and utensils.

·       Offer a supportive environment for breastfeeding according to service protocols.

·       Provide safe areas and appropriate resources for babies to practise gross motor skills.

·       Supervise babies and toddlers appropriately, according to development and environmental factors.

·       Ensure babies and toddlers can safely explore their environment with their hands, mouths and bodies.

·       Provide a relaxed and calm environment that is responsive to the individual wellbeing of babies and toddlers.

·       Complete each of the following at least once with two different babies under 12 months of age in a safe environment, using age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication and according to service and regulatory requirements:

o   change nappies

o   prepare bottle, bottle feed babies and clean equipment

o   prepare solid food and feed babies

o   respond appropriately to baby signs and cues

o   prepare and settle babies for sleep

o   monitor and encourage age-appropriate physical exploration and gross motor skills

·       Complete each of the following at least once with two different toddlers aged between 13 and 23 months in a safe environment, using age-appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication and according to service and regulatory requirements:

·       assist toddlers with toileting

·       assist toddlers during mealtimes

·       respond appropriately to toddler signs and cues

·       prepare and settle toddlers for sleep

·       monitor and encourage age-appropriate physical exploration and gross motor skills

·       Document and reflect on the ways in which relationships are developed between educators and babies/toddlers in the workplace to support:

o   own relationships with babies/toddlers

o   other educator relationships with babies/toddlers

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.