The NC Infant Toddler Quality Enhancement Project (ITQEP) is pleased to share our second quarterly newsletter to provide relevant information to infant and toddler teachers and administrators committed to high-quality care and education. We will highlight project updates and offerings, offer tips and scenarios based on NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development and Zero to Three Critical Competencies, and include profiles of our Infant Toddler Specialists who are ready to support you.

Breathing is the topic of our self-care this quarter. We all breathe, but in the context of self-care, the focus is on the physical act of breathing. Being mindful of our breathing has many benefits. Focused breathing can “help calm our regulatory system” and “help you recover and manage small or large stresses” (Nicholson et al., 2019, p. 213) as well as reduce anxiety, pain, depression, and negative thoughts (Telloian, 2021 & Laderer, 2020). Being mindful of our breathing also increases our awareness of our surroundings and allows us to be more present so that we don’t think about past or future worries. Practicing focused breathing helps to calm our brains. You can share and model these breathing moments with others, including the infants and toddlers you work with each day!
Here are a few different ways you can pause and focus on your breathing. We hope these exercises inspire you to make self-care a priority!

• 4-7-8 Breathing
• Breathe-headspace
• Rainbow Relaxation

References: 
Laderer, A. (2020, April 15). How to Practice Mindful Breathing and the Proven Benefits That It Offers. Insider.
Nicholson, J., Perez, L., & Kurtz, J. (2019). Trauma-Informed Practices for Early Childhood Educators. Routledge. 
Telloian, C. (2021, October 4). All About Mindful Breathing. Psychcentral.

The FREE, fully online, self-paced course is offered through DCDEE’s Moodle platform and is designed to support new teachers working with children ages birth to three in their understanding of child development, the importance of relationships, and age-appropriate behavior guidance. Participants receive 14 contact credit hours upon completion! The course is written to be completed by participants over six weeks as they dive into content related to NC child care resources, brain development, routine care, classroom environments, behavior guidance and self-care.

ITQEP offers a variety of 2 hour DCDEE credit training and .5 CEU training opportunities. Here is one example of a 2 hour DCDEE credit training.


Understanding individual temperament is an essential tool for infant and toddler teachers. Children have temperament-related characteristics that influence how they experience the environment, interact with others and how adults perceive and respond to each child. This training explores the different temperaments of infants and toddlers and how teachers can respond effectively to meet the needs of the children in their care. Teachers will discuss how their temperament and a child might influence the relationships in group care. Participants will also explore the meaning of “goodness of fit” between the child’s temperament and the style of care provided by the caregiver.

This training will be offered virtually on the following dates. Click the link to the individual regions’ training information to register.  

May 19, 2022 @ 4:30-6:30 pm      Region 4 CCR&R-LPuzzles
May 19, 2022 @ 6:00-8:00 pm      Moore County Partnership for Children
June 7, 2022  @ 6:30-8:30 pm      Child Care Resources, Inc.