These childcare books cover the real work of caring for young children, from daily routines to health and safety. They are written for caregivers, babysitters and early educators.
Most titles come from the groups that set the standards in early childhood education and care. Government agencies, pediatric associations and universities wrote them for people who work with children every day.
You'll also find classics like L. Emmett Holt's The Care and Feeding of Children. Every child care book here is free to read online or download in PDF.
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Early Care
Early Childhood Care Books
What does quality child care look like in practice? These early childhood care books answer from the caregiver's side, from observing children to running a family day care home.
A complete college textbook on watching, recording and assessing young children in care settings. It covers observation methods, portfolios, screening tools and how to share findings with families.
Leading researchers review how child care shapes young children, from infant attachment and quality standards to national care policies. A solid overview of early childhood education and care research.
A caregiver reference that tracks what children can do from birth to adolescence and how adults can support each stage. It also explains how to talk with children and spot signs that something is wrong.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
A practical handbook for running a childcare program from home. It covers indoor and outdoor safety, fire drills, daily health checks, medication, reporting abuse and working with families.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
A short, illustrated guide to the milestones children reach from birth to age eleven. Each stage includes practical ideas to help them play, learn and grow.
Clear answers to everyday behavior challenges, from tantrums and biting to bedtime battles and sibling fights. It shows how to guide children from birth to age nine with calm, positive discipline.
The first three years run on routines like feeding, naps and diapering. These infant and toddler care books show caregivers how to handle each one with patience and warmth.
An open textbook on caring for babies and toddlers in group settings. It covers feeding, diapering, naps, observation, program planning and how to design safe spaces for children under three.
Defines the knowledge and skills consultants need to support infant and toddler programs, from health and mental health to family engagement. Useful for directors, coaches and anyone improving care quality.
The WHO and UNICEF training manual for counseling families on play and communication with babies and young children. It includes age-based activities and simple ways to solve common caregiving problems.
A friendly guide to the first weeks with a newborn: feeding, sleep, bathing, crying and when to call the doctor. It also includes the schedule of well-baby checkups.
Preventing injuries and illnesses is half the job in any childcare center or daycare. Here you'll find the national health and safety standards and a full college textbook on the subject.
More than 650 standards for health and safety in early care and education programs. It covers staffing, nutrition, infectious diseases, playgrounds, transportation and children with special health needs.
American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education
A full college textbook on keeping young children healthy and safe in care settings. It covers illness prevention, injury prevention, child abuse, emergencies and nutrition from infancy to preschool.
The 2024 edition of a trusted guide to stopping the spread of infections in childcare centers. It explains hand hygiene, cleaning, exclusion periods and how to manage more than 50 common childhood illnesses.
The minimum health and safety standards every childcare program should meet, in a short and easy format. It covers ratios, safe sleep, hand hygiene, emergency plans and preventing child abuse.
Getting ready for your first babysitting job? These training manuals from 4-H and university extension programs cover safety, first aid, play ideas and how to work with parents.
A complete babysitting course for teens, from basic care of infants to child development, first aid and safety. The last chapter shows how to start and run a babysitting business.
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service
A hands-on workbook that prepares young sitters for safe, professional childcare. It includes activities on age-appropriate play, snacks, safety, emergencies and treating babysitting as a real job.
A 4-H project book that teaches young people how to care for children of different ages. It covers feeding, bathing, play, safety and what parents expect from a good babysitter.
Written more than a century ago, these classic childcare books shaped how generations raised babies. Read them as history, since their medical advice belongs to another era.
The most popular childcare manual of the early twentieth century, written as questions and answers for mothers and nurses. A fascinating record of how babies were fed, bathed and raised more than a century ago.
The 1914 government booklet that became one of the most requested publications of its time. It gave parents practical advice on feeding, sleep, clothing and daily care of babies.
A 1916 illustrated manual from the School of Mothercraft covering hygiene, feeding, clothing, play and early education. It shows how childcare was first taught as a practical discipline.
A nineteenth-century manual for mothers and monthly nurses on pregnancy, childbirth and the care of newborns. Read it as history: its medical advice belongs to another era.
We hope these childcare books help you care for children with more confidence and calm. If you are a new parent, our Parenting books are a good next step.
