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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Information Packet: Emotional and Psychological Well-Being of Children in Foster Care

Shoshana Indyk - National Center for Child Welfare Excellence, 01 May 2015

This information packet presents an overview of facts, statistics, policies, legislation, best practices, model programs, and additional resources related to the US child welfare system and the emotional and psychological well-being of children involved in that system.

Growth and Development among Children Living In Orphanages of Odisha, an Eastern Indian State

Dr. Sourajit Routray, Dr. Bijay Kumar Meher, Dr. Radha Tripathy, Dr. Sailaja Nandan Parida, Dr. Nijwm Mahilary, Dr. Deepti Damayanty Pradhan , 01 Apr 2015

This study was aimed at assessing growth and developmental outcomes of children living in orphanages in Odisha, India aged birth to 72 months and to make recommendations for “possible remedial measures” for addressing poor growth and developmental outcomes for children in institutions.

At What Age Do Young People Become Adults?

Monica Dowling & Courtney Hougham - Criminal Justice Matters , 16 Mar 2015

In this brief article, the authors make their case for extending the age limit for young people to receive care in the foster care system, focusing on the UK and the US.

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Gender (in) differences in prevalence and incidence of traumatic experiences among orphaned and separated children living in five low- and middle-income countries

C. L. Gray, B. W. Pence, J. Ostermann, R. A. Whetten, K. O’Donnell, N. M. Thielman, and K. Whetten - Global Mental Health Volume 2, 31 Jan 2015

This study sought to understand gender differences in potentially traumatic events (PTEs) in orphaned and separated children in 5 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC): Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Tanzania.

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9657953&fileId=S2054425115000011

The Science of Early Adversity: Is There a Role for Large Institutions in the Care of Vulnerable Children?

Anne E Berens, MSc, Prof Charles A Nelson, PhD - The Lancet , 29 Jan 2015

This review discusses the worldwide phenomenon of child institutionalisation and assesses scientific evidence on the developmental effects of early institutional care.

Effect of Maternal Deprivation on Child Development: A Comparative Study Between Orphanage and Urban Slum Children in Odisha

Sourajit Routray, Nijwm Mahilary and Rajkumar Paul - International Journal of Bioassays , 21 Jan 2015

This study compares the development of children living in orphanages with that of children living in slums with their biological parents in Odisha, India.

A comparison of youth resilience across seven South African sites

Adrian D. van Breda - Child and Family Social Work, 02 Jan 2015

This quantitative study of 575 South African children compared their resilience in terms of individual, family and community protective factors across seven sites, including child and youth care centres, schools in poor communities and schools in middle-class suburban communities.

A comparison of youth resilience across seven South African sites - Breda - 2015 - Child & Family Social Work - Wiley Online Library

The Experience of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Deborah Sampson and Katherine Hertlein - GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy, 2015

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of grandparents in the US and the challenges they face raising their grandchildren.

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The Foster Care Systems are Failing Foster Children: The Implications and Practical Solutions for Better Outcomes of Youth in Care

Mary Ramsay-Irving - Canadian Journal of Family and Youth Vol. 7, No. 1 , 2015

This paper reviews the literature on foster care and explains the issues that foster children in Canada experience.

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Workshop Report: Training Workshops on Mental Health Interventions for Better Care and Management of Institutionalized Children and Young Adults

Udayan Care , 19 Dec 2014

The report from the two-day Training Workshops on “Mental Health and Interventions for Better Care and Management of Institutionalized Children and Young Adults” is now available.