Child Development

Knowledge of child development is the foundation for work with children, and therefore is a requirement for all those seeking to protect children. It influences every aspect of a child from physical growth and mental abilities, to how they express emotions, think and behave.

Healthy development takes children through stages, whereby they obtain an increasing number of physical, mental, and emotional skills in order to become independent adults. These stages provide benchmarks for determining if a child is developing normally. Without knowledge of the normal developmental stages of a child, a worker cannot identify developmental delays, assess the impact of abuse, or make recommendations regarding the child’s physical, mental or emotional health. Understanding what a child is capable of allows adults to communicate on their level and provide age-appropriate responses and interventions.

Knowledge of early childhood development and attachment behaviour is particularly important for protection workers. The physical health and care a child experiences as an infant will affect their development into adulthood. A child needs to have experienced a positive attachment by the age of 3 in order to develop cognitively, physically, socially, and psychologically. Healthy attachments come from the close bond a child experiences when provided with the responsive and stable care of at least one adult. In a residential home, children are less likely to receive the amount of individual attention from a permanent caretaker that they require. Children under 12, in particular, benefit more from a kinship, foster or adoption placement where they can experience closer relationships.

Observation of a child’s attachment to caretakers will influence the type of care, permanency plan, and level of support services offered. It can also aid in the identification of abuse.

This section contains information on the importance of child development knowledge, guidance on the ages and stages of children, and attachment theory.

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Nurturing Care Framework

WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank, 23 May 2018

The Nurturing Care Framework provides an evidence-based road map for action and outlines how policies and services can support parents, families, other caregivers and communities in providing nurturing care for young children.

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Care for Child Development in rural Malawi: a model feasibility and pilot study

Melissa Gladstone, John Phuka, Richard Thindwa, Fatima Chitimbe, Kate Chidzalo, Jaya Chandna, Selena Gleadow Ware, Kenneth Maleta - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 23 May 2018

This paper describes the piloting of Care for Child Development through six health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in group and individual sessions with 60 caregivers and children <2 years and assessed recruitment, frequency, timings, and quality of intervention.

Identifying Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED) in a clinical sample of high risk children

Maria G Kroupina, Rowena Ng, Claire M Dahl, Ann Nakitende, Kathryn C Elison - Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry, 03 May 2018

This descriptive study involved caregivers and their adopted children, under the age of 7 years old, referred by pediatricians to an outpatient clinic, which specializes in early mental health. The prevalence of toxic stress, measured as symptoms of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED), was explored using clinical data collected during initial assessment.

Comparative Study of Psychological Health Status, Emotions and Cognitive Transformation of Children Held in Foster Centers Associated with Yazd Province’s Welfare Organization with Those of the Ordinary Children

V. Alinia & M. Fesahat - Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 01 May 2018

The present study tries investigating and comparing the psychological health status, emotions and cognitive transformation of the children held in foster centers associated with Yazd Province’s Welfare Organization with those of the ordinary children.

Handbook of Adolescent Development Research and its Impact on Global Policy

UNICEF Innocenti, 13 Apr 2018

The Handbook of Adolescent Development Research and its Impact on Global Policy aims to fill critical evidence gaps to speed evolution of better policy-making specifically tuned to this dynamic life stage.

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Opportunities to Strengthen Developmental Screening for Children Involved in Child Welfare Systems

Center for the Study of Social Policy, 01 Apr 2018

This resource from the U.S. Center for the Study of Social Policy presents recommendations highlighting strategies for improving the delivery of developmental screening and early intervention for children who become known to state and local child welfare systems.

The Mothers and Babies Course

Catholic Relief Services, 29 Mar 2018

This video from Catholic Relief Services provides an overview of the Mothers and Babies Course.

Handbook of Attachment (Third Edition): Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications

Jude Cassidy and Phillip R. Shaver, 19 Mar 2018

Widely regarded as the state-of-the-science reference on attachment, this handbook interweaves theory and cutting-edge research with clinical applications.

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Parenting guidelines: For children 0-5 years old (Thai)

UNICEF Thailand and Office of the Education Council, 01 Mar 2018

The guidelines provide information for ECD professionals and parents about holistic child development, linked to the national Early Learning and Development Standards.

Early Childhood Care and Development Standards (0-3 years)

Ghana Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, 01 Mar 2018

This document on 0 – 3 years standards was developed to complement the other existing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) documents which provide guidelines for caregivers in Ghana, including parents, towards achieving the developmental milestones or competencies within the age bracket 0-3.