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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Charles Nelson - Romania's Abandoned Children

Charles Nelson - Brainwaves Video Anthology, 15 Mar 2016

In this video from the Brainwaves Video Anthology, Dr. Charles Nelson shares some findings from his research on the impacts of deprivation on children's cognitive and brain development through the Bucharest Early Intervention Project.

The National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy Action Plan (2016-2021) of Uganda

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, 01 Mar 2016

The National Integrated Early Childhood Development (NIECD) policy of Uganda seeks to address multi-dimensional needs of young children through building more effective and coherent efforts among sectors to achieve positive early childhood development out comes for all children.

Internationally adopted children's general and adoption-specific stressors, coping strategies and psychological adjustment

Marta Reinoso, Noemí Pereda, Linda Van den Dries and Carlos G. Forero - Child and Family Social Work, 01 Feb 2016

This study examined stress, coping and psychological adjustment of 68 children, aged 8–12, who were internationally adopted to Spain.

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The State of the Ugandan Child: An Analytical Overview

Walakira, E.J., D. Muhangi, S. Munyuwiny, F. Matovu, E. Awich, I. Ddumba Nyanzi, J. Kayiwa, J. Akellot, P. Mubiri, J. Majugo, A. Mutebi, M. Ruiz-Rodriguez - USAID, 2016

The State of the Ugandan Child: An Analytical Overview focuses on four thematic areas, namely: health and nutrition, education, child protection and child participation; with emphasis placed on the girl child.

Lighting up young brains: How parents, carers and nurseries support children’s brain development in the first five years

Jerome Finnegan - Save the Children, 2016

This report from Save the Children outlines the rapid development that takes place in the brain in the early years of life and the crucial role that caregivers play in supporting this development.

South African Early Childhood Review 2016

Ilifa Labantwana, the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Department for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency, 2016

This report reviews South Africa’s National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy, which was approved by the Cabinet in December 2015. The policy is aimed at providing a framework for multi-sectoral Early Childhood Development services in South Africa.

Early Childhood Matters: Advances in early childhood development

Bernard van Leer Foundation, 2016

'Early Childhood Matters' is an annual publication from the Bernard van Leer Foundation which aims to “spread awareness of promising solutions to support holistic child development and explore the elements needed to take those solutions to scale.”

Children’s attachment: attachment in children and young people who are adopted from care, in care or at high risk of going into care

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 25 Nov 2015

This guideline covers the identification, assessment and treatment of attachment difficulties in children and young people up to age 18 who are adopted from care, in special guardianship, looked after by local authorities in foster homes (including kinship foster care), residential settings and other accommodation, or on the edge of care.

The wellbeing of foster children and their relationship with foster parents and biological parents: a child’s perspective

Anne M. Maaskant, Floor B. van Rooij, Henny M.W. Bos & Jo M.A. Hermanns - Journal of Social Work Practice: Psychotherapeutic Approaches in Health, Welfare and the Community, 15 Oct 2015

In this study 59 children between 10 and 18 years placed in long term foster care in the Netherlands completed standardized questionnaires on the relationship with their parents respectively foster parents and their wellbeing.

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Does sibling relationship matter to self-concept and resilience in adolescents under residential care?

Catarina Pinheiro Mota, Paula Mena Matos - Children and Youth Services Review, 03 Jul 2015

Using structural equation modeling the present study analyzed the associations between quality of sibling relationship and self-concept of institutionalized adolescents, testing the mediating role of resilience in this association, and the moderating effect of the maintenance of contact between siblings.

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