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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Descriptions from Motherless Infants’ Caregivers in an Institution in Rural Tanzania

Kari Vik (KV), Vickfarajaeli Zebedayo Daudi (VZD), Lusajo Joel Kajula (LJK), Rolf Rohde (RR), Omary Said Ubuguyu (OSU), Joseph Ndukusi Saibulu (JNS) - Infancy and Caring, 22 Feb 2018

This paper aims at describing how caregivers at an institution for motherless infants in rural Tanzania perceive infancy, caring and sensitivity in their everyday context.

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Building and utilising resilience: The challenges and coping mechanisms of care leavers in Ghana

Kwabena Frimpong-Manso - Children and Youth Services Review, 10 Feb 2018

Through this study, data were collected through interviews with 23 care leavers in Ghana to examine their challenges and the factors that influence their coping mechanisms.

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Building Core Capabilities for Life

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 26 Jan 2018

This 5-minute video from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University explores the development and use of core capabilities — known as executive function and self-regulation skills — from early childhood into adolescence and adulthood.

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Online consultations on the draft Nurturing Care Framework

World Health Organization & UNICEF, 24 Jan 2018

The first online consultation on the Nurturing Care Framework for early childhood development was held between 24th January and 6th February, a summary of the responses submitted will be available in March.

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Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Kenya, 2017

UNICEF, 2018

The report presents an overview of the Situation of Children and Women in Kenya using the results of the most significant research and analysis between 2014 and 2017 in areas related to the wellbeing of children and women.

An examination of the social emotional development of young children in care: The Ages and Stages QuestionnaireL Minorities and the ASQ:SE

Greenberg, Barbara; Miller, Meagan; Michael, Erik; Flynn, Robert J. - University of Ottawa, 2018

This exploratory paper’s purpose is to determine the effect of demographic, risk, and protective factors on social-emotional development, as measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Social Emotional (ASQ:SE), in children age 8 months to 5 years in out-of-home care in Ontario, Canada.

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Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development: A Framework for Helping Children Survive and Thrive to Transform Health and Human Potential

World Health Organization, 2018

The Nurturing Care Framework provides a roadmap for action. It builds on state-of-the-art evidence about how early childhood development unfolds and how it can be improved by policies and interventions.

The prevalence of mental disorders among children and youth staying in residential institutions, children’s homes – a review of epidemiological studies

Witold Pawliczuk, Anna Kaźmierczak-Mytkowska, Tomasz Srebnicki, Tomasz Wolańczyk - Psychiatria Polska, 2018

This article presents an overview of the few studies carried out so far in the European residential institutions, including children’s homes, over the years 1940–2011 in the UK, Germany, Romania, and Poland.

Variability in Developmental Outcomes of Foster Children: Implications for Research and Practice

Anouk Goemans, Mitch van Geel and Paul Vedder - Children Australia, 2018

This article focuses on the variability in developmental outcomes of foster children and the implications for foster care research and practice.

Nourished and Thriving Children Toolkit

SPOON, 2018

The Nourished and Thriving Children toolkit was designed by SPOON to build capacity among the foster care community in feeding and nutrition topics so that they are equipped to address challenges commonly experienced by foster children.

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