Agrilife Extension Resources

Starting a new home-based child care business involves making a number of decisions including the type of home-based child care to operate and how to incorporate best practices.

Health and safety of children in care is the #1 priority for all early childhood professionals. Home-based child care has specific requirements that must be addressed to ensure health and safety practices are properly integrated into a home-based child care.

This 2-hour course is for prospective home-based child care business owners and will introduce some of the health and safety standards, best practices, and ways to properly implement these in your home-based child care.

Creating healthy habits is a critical element of quality early childhood programs. This course reviews practices that promote physical activity in young children. It is aligned with Texas Healthy Building Blocks recognition criteria and was developed with support from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Abusive head trauma is the leading cause of death in cases of child abuse in the United States. This 2-hour course will help you better understand the dangers of abusive head trauma and how to take steps to protect the children in your care from this type of abuse.

Infants’ experiences early in life literally influence the physical structures of the brain, opening the way for patterns of thought and behavior for the rest of a child’s life. This 1-hour course addresses critical topics related to caring for the youngest and most vulnerable population of children, infants and toddlers.

Breastfeeding offers benefits to infants, mothers, and the community. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages family and community support for breastfeeding. Enroll to learn the benefits of breastfeeding and how to support mothers who continue breastfeeding their children after returning to work.

This course covers handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous materials. Knowing the risks associated with poisoning, taking steps to minimize them, and having a plan are critical to upholding the commitment to providing a safe environment.

Protecting the well-being of children should be the first priority of any child care program, and one that cannot be taken lightly. Injuries cannot always be prevented; however, providing a safe environment along with careful supervision greatly decreases the likelihood of a child becoming injured while in your care.

This course covers building and physical premises safety. One of the most important responsibilities of infant and toddler caregivers is to keep children safe and healthy. This course is designed to help caregivers identify and remove potential hazards, incorporate healthy practices into the daily routine, and more.