Building the Strongest Start: The Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care Course

The first three years of life are a period of astonishing growth and change. Infants and toddlers form the building blocks of brain architecture, emotional regulation, and social connection that shape all future learning. For early childhood professionals, working with this age group is both profoundly rewarding and uniquely challenging.

The Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care course—part of Wisconsin’s Child Care Foundational Training (CCFT) series—equips you with the specialized knowledge, skills, and attitudes you need to give our youngest children the best possible start.

In this blog, you’ll learn what this course covers, why it’s crucial, how it’s structured, and how it will transform your practice.

Why a Specialized Course for Infants and Toddlers?

Caring for infants and toddlers is not the same as working with preschoolers or older children. Their rapid development, total dependence, and need for secure attachments require:

• Individualized care and responsive relationships

• Understanding of development from birth to age three

• Safe, predictable, sensory-rich environments

• Attunement to cues, communication, and routines

The updated CCFT curriculum recognizes that professionals working with infants and toddlers must have dedicated training rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. The Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care course provides that foundation.

Who Should Take This Course?

This training is designed for:

• New caregivers who will work primarily with children from birth to age three

• Experienced providers seeking to fulfill CCFT requirements or update their practice with the latest research

• Family child care providers who care for mixed ages but want to strengthen their infant/toddler knowledge

• Assistant or lead teachers in group child care programs who want to qualify for infant/toddler classrooms

• Center directors who supervise staff in infant/toddler rooms and want to understand best practices to support them

No matter your background, if you want to give infants and toddlers high-quality, developmentally appropriate care, this course is for you.

Course Overview: Format and Logistics

While specifics may vary by training provider, most implementations share these elements:

• Noncredit but credential-bearing: It does not award college credit but satisfies the required foundational training component for staff who work with infants and toddlers.

• Hours: Often around 45–50 total training hours, with a combination of live sessions and self-paced assignments.

• Format: Usually offered as a blended course—some live virtual meetings or in-person classes plus online modules.

• Participation requirements: Attendance at scheduled sessions, completion of all online assignments, reflections, quizzes, and practical exercises.

• Support: Interaction with trainers and peers through discussions, Q&A, and feedback opportunities.

This structure allows participants to learn, apply, reflect, and return with questions or adjustments—mirroring the responsive approach we seek with infants and toddlers themselves.

What You’ll Learn: Core Competencies and Topics

The Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care course focuses on the unique developmental needs of children from birth to three. Expect to gain competencies in the following areas:

1. Understanding Infant and Toddler Development

• Key milestones in physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional growth during the first three years

• The science of brain development and “serve-and-return” interactions

• Recognizing individual differences and developmental variability

2. Responsive Caregiving and Attachment

• Building secure, nurturing relationships as the foundation for learning

• Reading and responding to infants’ and toddlers’ cues

• Creating predictable routines that foster trust and security

3. Health, Safety, and Nutrition

• Safe sleep practices, diapering, sanitation, and emergency preparedness

• Age-appropriate nutrition and feeding practices (bottles, transition to solids, self-feeding)

• Recognizing signs of illness or developmental concerns

4. Learning Environments for Infants and Toddlers

• Designing spaces for exploration, sensory experiences, and safe movement

• Selecting materials that are developmentally appropriate and culturally inclusive

• Balancing stimulation with calm, secure environments

5. Supporting Early Communication and Language Development

• Strategies for promoting early communication and emergent literacy

• The role of talk, songs, and responsive interactions in language development

• Supporting dual-language learners and respecting family language practices

6. Guiding Behavior and Promoting Social-Emotional Growth

• Understanding typical behavior patterns for this age

• Positive guidance strategies (redirection, modeling, emotion coaching)

• Helping toddlers develop self-regulation skills within supportive relationships

7. Partnering with Families

• Building respectful, collaborative relationships with families

• Understanding family cultures, routines, and goals for their child

• Effective daily communication and problem-solving with parents and guardians

8. Professionalism and Reflective Practice

• Maintaining confidentiality, ethical standards, and professionalism

• Reflecting on one’s own beliefs, biases, and emotional responses

• Setting goals for continued learning and growth

Each of these areas includes readings, discussions, hands-on activities, and reflections so you can immediately apply what you learn.

Benefits for Participants

For You as a Professional

• Confidence and competence: Gain a clear understanding of infant/toddler development and care practices.

• Job readiness: Satisfy foundational training requirements for infant/toddler classrooms and improve your employment prospects.

• Enhanced skills: Learn practical strategies to handle common challenges such as biting, separation anxiety, or nap time routines.

• Professional identity: Develop pride and clarity in your role as a caregiver and educator of our youngest children.

For Infants and Toddlers

• Secure attachments: Consistent, responsive care supports healthy emotional development.

• Optimal development: Well-designed routines and environments stimulate growth without overwhelming.

• Safe and healthy experiences: Trained staff reduce risks and promote wellness.

For Families

• Peace of mind: Knowing their child’s caregiver has specialized training builds trust.

• Better communication: Caregivers who understand family cultures and use respectful communication help parents feel heard and included.

• Stronger home–program continuity: When caregivers know how to align routines and practices with families, children experience smoother transitions and more consistent care.

For the Field

• Quality improvement: A workforce trained specifically in infant/toddler care raises standards across programs.

• Retention: Confident staff who feel competent in their work are more likely to stay, reducing turnover.

• Advocacy: Skilled professionals can articulate the importance of quality infant/toddler care to families, administrators, and policymakers.

Working with infants and toddlers is some of the most meaningful—and demanding—work in early childhood education. It requires patience, attunement, specialized knowledge, and a heart for nurturing. The Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care course gives you all of that and more: a comprehensive, up-to-date, evidence-based foundation that will prepare you to be the responsive, skilled caregiver babies and toddlers need.

Whether you’re starting your career or seeking to enhance your current practice, this course is your opportunity to build confidence, competence, and lasting impact during the most critical years of a child’s development.