Authentic Relationships in Group Care for Infants and Toddlers – Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) Principles into Practice

Stephanie Petrie has 25 years' experience as a social worker, senior practitioner and manager of children's services in statutory and independent sectors. She is now a lecturer in social work at the University of Liverpool, where her research interests include teenage pregnancy. Sue Owen was Director of the Early Childhood Unit of the National Children's Bureau. She was author of Ambition for Change: Partnerships, Children and Work with Ann Jamieson.

There is much to recommend in this book. At its heart is an understanding of the role that respectful relationships play in ensuring high-quality provision for our youngest children... this book has important messages for practitioners in early years settings, childminders working with babies and toddlers and practitioners working with parents to improve outcomes for children.I recommend that this is read by policy makers at national and local level. We need to ensure that those making decisions about the type of provision to be offered to our youngest citizens are aware of how they are best supported during these formative years.

• Introduction, Stephanie Petrie, University of Liverpool and Sue Owen, National Children's Bureau. 1. The Work of Emmi Pikler and Magda Gerber, Stephanie Petrie. 2. RIE Principles and Practices, Magda Gerber, RIE Founding Director, Los Angeles. 3. The RIE Early Years "Curriculum", Ruth Money, RIE Associate, USA. 4. Using the RIE Approach in a Family Day Care Home, Catherine Coughlan, family day care provider. 5. Creating Quality Infant Group Care Programs, Polly Elam, RIE Associate, USA. 6. RIE Parent-Infant Guidance Classes, Elizabeth Memel, RIE Associate and Lee Fernandez. 7. Mutual Respect and Trust: The Role of the Mentor in RIE, Polly Elam. 8. The Applicability of the Pikler/Gerber Approach in the UK Context, Sue Owen and Stephanie Petrie. Glossary. References. Index.