Competencies for educators of infants and toddlers are a crucial component of professional
preparation. The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC), in partnership with
the Delaware Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning, selected the Zero to Three
Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators to strengthen the state’s support for its infant-toddler educator workforce. In fiscal year 2024, the DIEEC packaged and piloted a comprehensive professional learning experience focused on strengthening competencies in the domain of social
and emotional development. The pilot demonstrated that through this professional preparation
program, infant and toddler educators strengthened the emotional climate of their classrooms
and their responsiveness to children. The pilot also served to identify future implementation steps,
such as developing support for administrators to ensure the sustainability of the competencies in their programs.

Read the report HERE.