Controversy exists in the field of child day care concerning the training of child care workers. Becker (1979) states that trainers should be child care professionals who help to engage workers in an educational/developmental process, as opposed to "outside" trainers from other professions who view training as a mechanism to "add on" skills such as conflict resolution or communication skills. On the other hand, Ouderkirk (1980) argues that competent trainers from outside the field can impart needed skills by using accepted methods of adult education. The purpose of this paper is to present evidence concerning the effectiveness of Becker's approach to training in conveying knowledge and in imparting ideas about child care practices. A statewide, decentralized program was conducted which used child care professionals as trainers and provided for the modification of course content to fit the needs of local providers. Almost 1,400 center and home providers in 57 counties were trained. Test data from pre/post program measures and trained/untrained group analyses, as well as behavioral observations, demonstrated program success. Findings also indicated an expansion of provider/community contacts and an increased sense of professionalism. In conclusion, this training approach is viewed as being both practical and effective. (Author/MP)