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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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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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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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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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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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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Factors Affecting the Psychosocial Well-Being of Orphan and Separated Children in Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Which is More Important, Quality or Form of Care?

Hy V. Huynh - Clemson University, 01 May 2017

This study explored the extent to which components of quality of care predicted psychosocial well-being of orphaned and separated children (OSC), as well as the extent to which these components of quality of care and demographic factors moderated the associations between care settings and psychosocial well-being of orphaned and separated children (OSC).

A qualitative study examining psychosocial distress and coping mechanisms among orphan and vulnerable children living in institutional care in New Delhi, India

Abhishek Saraswat & Sayeed Unisa - Journal of Health and Social Sciences, 15 Mar 2017

This study investigated the psychosocial distress and coping mechanisms of institutionalized children living in New Delhi, India.

Child-to-adult neurodevelopmental and mental health trajectories after early life deprivation: the young adult follow-up of the longitudinal English and Romanian Adoptees study

Prof Edmund J S Sonuga-Barke, Mark Kennedy, Prof Robert Kumsta, Nicky Knights, Dennis Golm, Prof Michael Rutter, et al. - The Lancet, 22 Feb 2017

This study used data from the English and Romanian Adoptees study to assess whether deprivation-associated adverse neurodevelopmental and mental health outcomes persist into young adulthood.