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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The Long View: Has Anything Really Improved for Children and Families Involved with Child Welfare over 3 Decades?

Moira Szilagyi - Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 2018

This paper reflects on: what’s better or not after 30 years; whether legislation and financing are aligned with child welfare’s goals of safety, permanency and well-being; and what remains to be done to improve the outcomes of children and youth in foster care or otherwise involved with child welfare.

HIV and Caregiver Common Mental Disorder: Synergistic Impacts on Child Development and Entry Points for Interventions

Mark Tomlinson and Xanthe Hunt - 4Children, Catholic Relief Services, 2018

In this paper, the authors review published literature on the mental health status of mothers living with HIV (MLH) and how this affects their children; outline the pathways between maternal HIV, maternal mental health problems, and negative child outcomes; and then describe a number of intervention entry points that they argue have the potential to enhance impact across PEPFAR platforms.

Promoting Early Childhood Development Through Combining Cash Transfer and Parenting Programs

Ana-Maria Arriagada, Jonathan Perry, Laura Rawlings, Julieta Trias, and Melissa Zumaeta - World Bank Group, 2018

This note and the accompanying full technical paper examine the existing evidence and the potential for bringing together cash transfer programs and parenting interventions to improve child development outcomes, notably cognitive performance.

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.

ACEs and Toxic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2018

This infographic, and accompanying answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), describes Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their relationship to toxic stress, and explains the impacts of ACEs on children's development.

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Thrive II: Early Childhood Development Tanzania

Catholic Relief Services, 20 Dec 2017

This video from Catholic Relief Services provides an overview of the Thrive II project, a program designed to enhance parent-child bonds and strengthen early child development.

Living in an Immigrant Family in America: How Fear and Toxic Stress are Affecting Daily Life, Well-Being, & Health

Samantha Artiga and Petry Ubri - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 01 Dec 2017

The authors of this study conducted focus groups with 100 parents from 15 countries and 13 interviews with pediatricians to gain insight into how the current political environment in the United States is affecting the daily lives, well-being, and health of immigrant families, including their children.

Do children adopted from British foster care show difficulties in executive functioning and social communication?

Alexandra E Wretham, Matt Woolgar, Alexandra E Wretham - Adoption & Fostering, 24 Nov 2017

In this study, 30 primary school aged UK adoptees without a history of institutionalisation completed an assessment of their intellectual, executive functioning and social communication abilities.

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Effects of early institutionalization on emotion processing in 12-year-old youth

Johanna Bick, Rhiannon Luyster, Nathan A. Fox, Charles H. Zeanah, Charles A. Nelson - Development and Psychopathology, 22 Nov 2017

This study examined facial emotion recognition in 12-year-olds in a longitudinally followed sample of children with and without exposure to early life psychosocial deprivation (institutional care).

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Parenting, Environment, and Early Child Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Marc H. Bornstein, Diane L. Putnick, Paul Oburu, Jennifer E. Lansford, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Robert H. Bradley, Riku Moriguchi, Pia Rebello Britto - Handbook of Applied Developmental Science in Sub-Saharan Africa, 18 Nov 2017

This chapter describes the contemporary situation of children in sub-Saharan Africa with successive foci on child growth, the home environment, parenting, and discipline using data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS).

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