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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Localization for Early Childhood Development and Child Protection in Guatemala

Mara Tissera Luna, 31 Oct 2024

This Collaborative Insights report gathers perspectives on strengthening ECD efforts from Guatemalan grassroots practitioners, national social movements, community-based organizations, international non-governmental organizations, donors, and the Guatemalan government.

Narratives of Social Educators on Practices in Institutional Foster Care // Narrativas de educadores sociais sobre práticas no acolhimento institucional

23 Sep 2024

This study aimed to analyze the narratives of social educators regarding their practices within a foster care institution for children and adolescents in South Brazil.

South African Child Gauge 2024: Early Childhood Development

Wiedaad Slemming, Linda Biersteker, Lori Lake, 21 Aug 2024

This 17th issue of the South African Child Gauge focuses attention on early childhood development – from conception until the start of formal school. It collates the latest evidence to reflect on progress, identify challenges and point the way forward.

South African Child Gauge 2024: Early Childhood Development (Policy Brief)

The Children's Institute - University of Cape Town, 21 Aug 2024

This policy brief presents the key findings of the 2024 Child Gauge which focuses on early childhood development and the full book can be accessed at www.ci.uct.ac.za.

South African Early Childhood Review 2024

Ilifa Labantwana, the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, the South African Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency, the South African Department of Basic Education; the Grow Great Campaign, DataDrive2030, 17 Jul 2024

The South African Early Childhood Review 2024 tracks data on the status of children under six years.

Receipt of Parenting, Disability, Unemployment, and Other Income Support Payments in Persons Aged 16 to 33 Years – The Associations with Child Maltreatment

Emmanuel S. Gnanamanickam , Leonie Segal , 11 Jul 2024

This study was based in Southern Australia and aimed to examine the association between child maltreatment and the receipt of income support payments and the budgetary impact for persons 16 to 33 years.

Investing in Early Years in Human Capital for Future Resilience: For an Inclusive and Equitable World

UNICEF India, 20 Feb 2024

This book focuses on the urgent need for global investments in young children for realizing sustainable development and equitable outcomes for all. Access to services and participation, equity and inclusion are key drivers to realize the rights of the child.

Matters of Significance: Replication, Translation and Academic Freedom in Developmental Science

Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Marian J. Bakermans-Kranenburg, 15 Feb 2024

In Matters of Significance, Marinus van IJzendoorn and Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg draw on 40 years of experience with theoretical, empirical, meta-analytic and translational work in child development research to highlight the complex relations between replication, translation and academic freedom. They argue that challenging fake facts promulgated by under-replicated and under-powered studies is a critical type of translation beyond technical applications.

Collecting Data on Early Childhood Development in Household Surveys

UNICEF, 08 Feb 2024

This publication is meant to guide the collection of reliable, internationally comparable data on key ECD indicators, the selection of which was informed by the Nurturing Care Framework.

Foster Care Leads to Sustained Cognitive Gains Following Severe Early Deprivation

Kathryn L. Humphreys, Lucy S. King, Katherine L. Guyon-Harris, Charles H. Zeanah, 12 Sep 2022

This study, based in Romania, examined longitudinal data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care following exposure to severe psychosocial deprivation.