The new program, which starts Monday, Feb. 4, will provide childcare for children between the ages of 8 weeks and 3 years. Enrollment is open to the community.

"(The new program) is based on the philosophy of really trying to nurture and support the development of the individual baby or toddler, with an emphasis on continuity of care," said Barbara J. Hill, director of the Child and Family Studies Center.

Each child in the new program will be assigned a caregiver, and that caregiver will stay with the child for the time they are in the program "so that the period of attachment and bonding will really be a solid one, rather than have different people handling a baby throughout their stay," Hill said.

She said the child ratio in the program will be one adult for every three infants and one adult for every four toddlers. Each caregiver will have a bachelor's degree and the program director has a master's degree in family studies. The infant/toddler program hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The weekly rate is $200 for infants and $185 for toddlers.

For more information about the program, call the Child and Family Studies Center at (818) 677-3131 or visit its web site at hhd.csun.edu/cfsc. The infant and toddler program is located at 18344 A & B Plummer St.

The infant/toddler program is a new addition to the center's Lab School, which currently serves preschool and kindergarten children. The school and center are part of CSUN's Department of Family Environmental Sciences and are dedicated to fostering growth and development of the whole child, as well as forming a partnership with the child's family. The school also serves as a learning environment for CSUN students working with children.

Hill said toddlers in the new program will receive automatic admission to the full-day preschool program.

California State University, Northridge has more than 31,000 full- and part-time students and offers 59 bachelor's and 41 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the third largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."