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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Three Trimesters to Three Years: Promoting Early Development

The Future of Children - Princeton-Brookings, 2020

This issue of the Future of Children focuses on the first years of life starting with in utero experiences.

State Investments in Head Start to Support At-Risk Children and Families: More Important Than Ever

National Head Start Association, 2020

This brief from Head Start provides an overview of state funding for Head Start, a collection of comprehensive birth to five programs in the U.S. specifically designed to strengthen families, promote school readiness, and improve child health.

Psychological and Social Issues Affecting Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Zoleka Ntshuntshe & Simon G. Taukeni - Addressing Multicultural Needs in School Guidance and Counseling, 2020

This chapter from 'Addressing Multicultural Needs in School Guidance and Counseling' focuses on the psychological and social issues that orphans and other vulnerable children experience when their parents are no longer alive.

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The Case for Investing in Early Childhood Development

Thrive Coalition, 2020

This two-page document from the Thrive Coalition - a community of over 30 organizations and individuals dedicated to addressing U.S. Government support for global early childhood development - makes a case for U.S. investment in global early childhood development.

Socio-emotional challenges and development of children left behind by migrant mothers

Xueqi Qu, Xi Wang, Xiaona Huang, Ashish KC, Yuning Yang, Yue Huang, Chunyi Chen, Yaqing Gao, Yinping Wang, Hong Zhou - Journal of Global Health, 2020

The present study aims to explore the specific influence of migrant mothers on early child development, especially on social-emotional problems.

2019/2020 Prevention Resource Guide

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, 2020

This Resource Guide offers support to community service providers as they work with parents, caregivers, and children to prevent child maltreatment and promote social and emotional well-being.

Cognitive and Social Emotional Development Module

Youth in Focus, 2020

This Module explores how cognitive and social-emotional abilities operate in youth’s daily experience and personal lives and what we can do to help young people develop and strengthen these skills in order to thrive.

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Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study

Government of New South Wales, 2020

The Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study of children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia.

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Attachment After Adversity: Building Resilience through Relationships

Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), 2020

This e-book from CAFO provides guidance to individuals dedicated to serving at-risk children and families on how to build resilience through relationship to help them build better futures.

Stress sensitization among severely neglected children and protection by social enrichment

Mark Wade, Charles H. Zeanah, Nathan A. Fox, Florin Tibu, Laura E. Ciolan, Charles A. Nelson - Nature Communications, 18 Dec 2019

The current study uses data from a longitudinal randomized controlled trial to examine whether severe early neglect among children reared in institutions increases vulnerability to the effects of later stressful life events on externalizing problems in adolescence, and whether social enrichment in the form of high-quality foster care buffers this risk.