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 Road to Adulthood: Aligning Child Welfare Practice With Adolescent Brain Development

The Annie E. Casey Foundation , 22 Jul 2017

This paper offers recommendations for child welfare professionals, caregivers and systems to use the research on adolescent brain development to work effectively with youth in or emerging from foster care.

Child and family-related predictors of psychological outcomes in children adopted from abroad; what is the role of caregiver time?

Niina Rita, Marko Elovainio, Hanna Raaska, Pekka Lahti-Nuuttila, Jaakko Matomäki, Jari Sinkkonen, Helena Lapinleimu - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 18 Jul 2017

This study explores whether child and family-related factors are associated with later psychological problems in international adoptees in Finland. Researchers then investigated whether the length of time a child spends at home after adoption and before daycare moderates the aforementioned associations.

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Language and psychosocial skills of Greek institutionalized children

Ralli M. Asimina, Schiza Melpomen, Tsiatsiou Alexandra, 10 Jul 2017

This study examined language and psychosocial skills of Greek institutionalized children in comparison to children of the same age brought up in family-based care.

language and psychosocial skills of Greek institutionalized children in comparis

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The Best Interests of the Child in Cases of Migration

Margrite Kalverboer, Daan Beltman, Carla van Os and Elianne Zijlstra - The International Journal of Children's Rights , 01 Jul 2017

This article offers a framework for determining the best interests of the child in decision-making processes concerning children in migration procedures.

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Family structure and family relationship from the child well-being perspective: Findings from comparative analysis

Tamar Dinisman, Sabine Andresen, Carme Montserrat, Dorota Strózik, Tomasz Strózik - Children and Youth Services Review, 30 Jun 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore differences in family relationships, family subjective well-being (SWB) and overall SWB between children living in three different living arrangements – a two-parent family, a single-parent family and a separated family.

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Being adopted in the school context: Individual and interpersonal predictors

Joana Soares, Maria Barbosa-Ducharne, Jesus Palacios, Silvia Fonseca, 24 Jun 2017

The goal of this study is to analyze, from the adoptee's point of view, the experience of being adopted in the school context and the impact of the child's social competence, social disclosure of adoption and social reaction to the adoptive status.

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A study of associations among attachment patterns, maltreatment, and behavior problem in institutionalized children in Japan

Emiko Katsuradaa, Mitsue Tanimukaib, Junko Akazawa - Child Abuse & Neglect, 24 Jun 2017

The present study investigates the relationships among children's history of maltreatment, attachment patterns, and behavior problems in Japanese institutionalized children.

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Child care quality and Dutch 2- and 3-year-olds' socio-emotional outcomes: Does the amount of care matter?

Martine L. Broekhuizen, Marcel A.G. van Aken, Judith S. Dubas, Paul P.M. Leseman, 22 Jun 2017

This study investigated the relationship between quality of child care and social-emotional development in 2- to 3-year old children in the Netherlands.

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Improving outcomes for babies and toddlers in child welfare: A model for infant mental health intervention and collaboration

Susan Chinitz, Hazel Guzman, Ellen Amstutz, Joaniko Kohchi, Miriam Alkon - Child Abuse & Neglect, 13 Jun 2017

This article describes and evaluates a model utilizing Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) to minimize the impact of early trauma for infants and toddlers removed from parental care.

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Attachment representations and socio-emotional difficulties in alternative care: A comparison between residential, foster and family based children in Chile

Manuela Garcia Quiroga, Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis, Margarita Ibañez Fanés - Child Abuse & Neglect, 13 Jun 2017

The aim of this study was to compare outcomes for children living in three different types of care in Chile: biological parental care, residential care, and foster care.

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