Four children relate to the same caregiver each day to meet their feeding, diapering, dressing, and sleeping needs. The first objective of Child Care 3 is to provide a warm, nurturing environment in a home-like setting. The format is free play, but it is guided by staff towards meeting individual needs and goals. The use of small groups, each with a care giver, helps the children develop social skills while they are engaged in activities. One of the goals in the development of social skills is to help the children to play co-operatively.
Staff encourage the children to use verbal expression to develop their language and social skills.
Techniques such as modeling, paraphrasing, and the expansion of the child's own speech are used. Children are encouraged to be independent by being active participants in the self help skills of dressing, diapering, sleeping, and feeding. Caregivers encourage children to participate in clean up routines and the set up of lunch and sleep time areas. Through observation of the children and knowledge of their developmental level, staff arrange play areas to provide a balance of new, challenging activities with familiar activities that provide repeated successes. Gross motor development is encouraged by setting up a room that has a climbing frame, bikes, a ladder, and a cloth tunnel.