Positive transitions

For young children, the transition from the home environment to the care environment (child care centre, kindergarten, school) is a crucial component of their relationship building with caregivers. Young children who develop secure relationships with caregivers will feel more confident in the care environment, and will be more able to learn from that environment. Transitions set the scene for relationship building with caregivers. Well-managed transitions facilitate children's trust in caregivers and make the development of serve attachments more likely. Focusing on creating positive transitions is a crucial component of quality early childhood practice. This paper discusses ways in which caregivers can plan for positive transitions. [Author abstract]