57 Effective Interactions (Adult-Child, Child-Adult, Child-Child) 1. Relationships (continued) 2. Psychological Safety & Attachment Level 1 Recognize the importance of consistency, continuity, and responsiveness in supporting children’s emotional development. EI 1.2.1 Level 2 Understand the importance of building trusting relationships with children Engage in interactions that support individual children’s emotional needs by maintaining physical proximity and speaking with a positive affect (smiling, laughter, enthusiasm, and verbal or physical affection). EI 1.2.2 Level 3 Develop, plan, and create a learning environment with predictability, physical, and emotional safeguards to enhance each child’s self-concept, self- regulation, and self-esteem. Ensure children’s emotional needs are met by providing individual attention to each child on a daily basis. Ensure the provision of care continuity (same caregiver over an extended period) when working with children from birth to age 3. Model and help others acquire skills for establishing secure attachment relationships and maintaining children’s psychological safety. EI 1.2.3 Level 4 Analyze, evaluate and modify the learning environment to ensure predictability, physical, and emotional safeguards to enhance each child’s self- concept, self-regulation, and self-esteem. Develop staffing policies that sustain stability and consistency in the program environment. Ensure professional development opportunities for staff and resources for families, about the critical nature of relationships, attachment, responsiveness, and respect. Work to promote staff retention to ensure continuity for children and families. EI 1.2.4 Level 5 Promote evidence-based best practices to facilitate psychological safety and secure attachments, including continuity of care for infants and toddlers (birth to age 3.) Advocate and facilitate collaboration among early childhood educators and key partners to create understanding of continuity of care. Analyze, evaluate, articulate, and apply current theory, research, and policy to ensure positive relationships between children and adults. EI 1.2.5