People Under Three  translates child development theory and research into everyday practice. Focusing on the group day care of very young children, it is designed specifically for those who look after them day by day, as well as policy makers, administrators and the managers of the child care services. All the practical ideas in the book have been developed and tested in nurseries and family centres. They include detailed guidance on educational play for babies and toddlers and how to care for children's emotional needs. The book also explores the difficult area of child protection and working with parents and children with a variety of problems. This book is an established text for all those training to work with young children or managing day care facilities. This new edition has been completely updated to take account of the expansion and radical changes that have taken place in childcare care provision since the book was first published and includes new material on assessing the quality of care and short-term and intermittent care.