Why Child Care Centers Choose Baby Signs® Center Certification
Professional development that supports communication, connection, and confidence in infant and toddler classrooms
Infant and toddler teachers do some of the most important work in early childhood education. Long before children can clearly say what they need, teachers are helping them feel safe, understood, and connected.
That is where the Baby Signs® Center Certification Program can make a meaningful difference.
Center Certification helps early childhood programs bring the trusted Baby Signs® approach into infant and toddler classrooms. Through professional development, classroom strategies, and practical resources, educators learn how to use signs during everyday routines to support communication, reduce frustration, and strengthen relationships with children and families.
Whether your program serves infants, toddlers, Early Head Start families, or mixed-age early learning groups, Center Certification gives your team shared tools they can use right away.
What Is Baby Signs® Center Certification?
Baby Signs® Center Certification is designed for early childhood programs that want to bring baby sign language into the classroom in a consistent, practical, and developmentally appropriate way.
The certification process begins with staff training for early childhood professionals working with young children. Educators learn how to introduce signs, use them during daily routines, and support children as they begin communicating before they can talk.
The goal is not to add one more complicated task to a teacher’s day.
The goal is to make communication easier during the moments that already happen every day: arrival, separation, diapering, mealtime, circle time, transitions, play, clean-up, and rest
Why It Matters in Infant and Toddler Classrooms
Young children understand far more than they can say. When they do not yet have the words to express what they want, need, feel, or notice, frustration can build quickly.
Simple signs give children another way to communicate.
A child can ask for MORE, show they are ALL DONE, request HELP, communicate that something HURTS, or let a caregiver know they want MILK, WATER, or SLEEP.
For teachers, these small moments can make a big difference.
When children can communicate more clearly, educators can respond more quickly and confidently. That supports smoother routines, stronger relationships, and a more connected classroom environment.
Top Benefits of Center Certification
Baby Signs® Center Certification can help programs:
- Support communication before children can talk
- Reduce frustration during daily routines
- Give teachers practical tools they can use right away
- Create consistency across classrooms
- Strengthen relationships with families
- Support social-emotional development
- Build confidence among infant and toddler educators
- Demonstrate a commitment to early communication and professional development
When a whole team uses the same approach, signs become part of the classroom culture. Children see them throughout the day, teachers model them consistently, and families can be encouraged to use the same signs at home.
What’s Included in Center Certification?
The Baby Signs® Center Certification process includes professional development and resources to help your team use signs confidently and consistently.
Training includes:
- Research-based information on early communication and language development
- Instruction in key signs that support classroom routines
- Strategies for using signs during daily activities and transitions
- Ideas for supporting social-emotional development through signs
- Professional materials, handouts, and video resources
- Certificate of completion for participating staff
- Printable signage recognizing your certified status
- Official listing on the Baby Signs® website as a Certified Center
- Ongoing support from the Baby Signs® Program
The training is designed to be practical, approachable, and easy to apply in real classroom settings.
Programs may also choose to add an optional classroom resource kit to support daily use of signs after training. These materials help teachers bring signs into routines, songs, stories, and classroom activities so children see and use signs throughout the day.
Everyday Routines Become Communication Opportunities
One of the strengths of the Baby Signs® approach is that signs fit naturally into what teachers are already doing.
Signs can be used during:
- Arrival and separation
- Mealtime and snack time
- Diapering and toileting routines
- Circle time
- Songs and stories
- Outdoor play
- Transitions
- Nap and rest time
- Comfort and caregiving moments
For example, a teacher might sign EAT before snack, ALL DONE when a child finishes an activity, HELP when offering support, or MORE during a favorite song.
These moments are simple, but powerful. They help children connect words, signs, routines, and relationships.
A Strong Fit for Early Childhood Programs
Baby Signs® Center Certification is a strong fit for:
- Child care centers
- Infant and toddler classrooms
- Early Head Start programs
- Head Start programs serving younger children
- School districts
- Family engagement programs
- Early intervention programs
- Nonprofit agencies
- Resource and referral programs
- Early learning collaboratives
- Tribal programs
- Military child development centers
Any program that supports babies, toddlers, families, and early childhood educators can benefit from a shared communication approach.
Supporting Teachers and Families
Center Certification supports children, but it also supports the adults who care for them.
Teachers gain practical tools for daily classroom life. Families gain a clearer understanding of how signs can support communication at home and in care settings. Administrators gain a consistent, center-wide approach that can be shared across classrooms and with families.
That consistency matters.
When teachers and families use the same signs, children receive repeated, meaningful opportunities to communicate throughout the day.
Why Choose the Baby Signs® Program?
The Baby Signs® Program is known around the world for helping babies communicate before they can talk. Created by child development experts, the program is built on decades of research and real-world experience with families, educators, and early childhood programs.
Center Certification brings that trusted approach into the classroom in a way that is practical for educators and meaningful for young children.
It is not just about teaching signs.
It is about helping caregivers tune in, respond, and create classrooms where children feel seen, heard, and understood.
Ready to Certify Your Center?
If your program is planning professional development for fall, now is a great time to explore Baby Signs® Center Certification.
Whether you want to support infant and toddler communication, strengthen family engagement, reduce frustration, or give your educators tools they can use every day, Center Certification can help your team build a more connected classroom.
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