1. The child is at the center of this model.
2. The model acknowledges that a child affects as well is affected by the settings in which she spends time.
3. The most important setting for a young child is his family, because that is where he spends the most time and because it has the most emotional influence on him. Other important settings may include his extended family, early care and education programs, health care settings and other community learning sites such as neighborhoods, libraries and playgrounds.