With primary care, programs are structured so that the infants know that someone who understands them well is emotionally available for comfort and nurturance. Once a primary care relationship is established for an infant, the policy of continuity of care ensures that programs will attempt to keep caregivers and children together throughout the three years of the infancy period. This policy prevents the child from repeatedly grieving the loss of a caregiver that results from being switched from one caregiver to another. An additional benefit of continuity is that the children develop strong friendships with each other. Regulations can support continuity both by making it a guideline for child care programs and by allowing programs enough flexibility to organize care in a way that keeps a small group of infants and their caregiver together for an extended period of time.
Group size influences the quality of infants experience in child care in numerous ways.
In a small group there are fewer distractions, and the children s activities are focused. It is easy for children to be heard and understood. Infants are better able to develop a strong relationship with their primary caregiver, and the caregiver has the flexibility to manage the needs of all the children. Moreover, the younger the infant, the more crucial having only a few people to relate to becomes. For young infants, a small group provides a feeling of protection that encourages exploration.