Infants Program

Ages Between (6 weeks – 16 months)

Infants at Jack and Jill Childcare enjoy a safe and caring environment that promotes physical and cognitive development through play and exploration at their own pace.

Development occurs at a rapid pace during the first two years after birth. In an effort to keep infants with peers of similar developmental levels together, infants are divided into smaller classroom groups at approximately six month increments.

  • Teacher-child ratio: 1:4
  • Maximum group size: 16
  • Small group sizes to better meet the individual needs of the child
  • Teachers dedicated to the development of trust, security and emotional growth through prompt, nurturing and responsive care
  • A curriculum designed to foster learning through stimulating sights, sounds and physical exploration
  • Daily reading to all children
  • Daily stroller rides inside or outside (weather permitting)
  • A daily schedule developed by parents and teachers to meet the individual needs of each child
  • Detailed individualized reports on each child’s activities provided daily
  • Sign language exposure
  • Partially enclosed nap rooms with child’s personal crib and bedding
  • Bi-annual parent-teacher conferences (additional conferences available upon request)
  • Open door policy for parents

Infant Program Objectives

Physical Development: Provide an environment that fosters growth in gross and fine motor development at developmentally appropriate levels for each infant.

Gross Motor Objectives

  • Develop muscles to hold head and chest up
  • Develop muscles to roll stomach to back and onto sides
  • Develop ability to swipe objects with hands
  • Develop hand and arm control to hold bottle
  • Coordinate muscles, arms, and legs to crawl
  • Develop strength to pull self up
  • Develop muscle strength to walk without support

Fine Motor Objectives

  • Develops ability to hold a rattle or small object
  • Tracks a moving object with eyes
  • Develops control to feed self with spoon and/or fingers
  • Exchanges object between hands
  • Develops ability to bring objects together with hands
  • Develops ability to place objects into a container
  • Grasps a tiny object using a pincer grasp

Intellectual Development: Provide an environment that fosters growth in language, critical thinking, exploration, concentration and sensorial skills at developmentally appropriate levels for each infant.

Cognitive Objectives

  • Explores objects with mouth and hands
  • Connects sight with sounds
  • Discriminates needs
  • Follows falling object with eyes
  • Searches for a hidden object

Social / Emotional Development: Provide an opportunity for each infant to develop positive and nurturing relationships with peers, adults, and their environment.

Social/Emotional Objectives

  • Focuses on face of caregiver or another infant
  • Responds to voice
  • Smiles responsively
  • Discriminates wants
  • Plays independently
  • Plays simple games (Ex: Peek-A-Boo, Itsy Bitsy Spider)

Language Development: Provide an opportunity for each infant to develop expressive and receptive language with each other, and their caregivers.

Language Objectives

  • Laughs and responds with a smile
  • Utters speech sounds
  • Babbles responsively
  • Imitates sounds
  • Responds to instructions