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 Framework for Child Well-Being in the Gulf Countries

Jennifer E. Lansford, Anis Ben Brik, Heba Al Fara - Child Indicators Research, 15 Jan 2019

This article provides a review of indicators of child well-being in the six Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), focusing on well-being in six domains: physical health, behavioral adjustment, psychological well-being, social relationships, safety, and cognitive well-being. The article highlights children's participation in decisions affecting their lives, relationships with parents and caregivers, and protection from abuse and neglect, among other indicators.

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How Early Experience Shapes Human Development: The Case of Psychosocial Deprivation

Charles A. Nelson III, Charles H. Zeanah, and Nathan A. Fox - Neural Plasticity, 15 Jan 2019

The question addressed in this paper from the Neural Plasticity journal is what happens to brain and behavior when a young child is deprived of key experiences during critical periods of brain development.

Long-term effects of institutional rearing, foster care, and brain activity on memory and executive functioning

Mark Wade, Nathan A. Fox, Charles H. Zeanah, and Charles A. Nelson III - PNAS, 14 Jan 2019

The current study examined longitudinal trajectories of memory and executive functioning (EF) from childhood to adolescence in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care for institutionally reared children in Romania.

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Effects of early adversity on the brain: Larger-volume anterior cingulate cortex in AIDS orphans

Peiying Zuo , Yinan Wang , Jia Liu, Siyuan Hu, Guoxiang Zhao, Lijie Huang, Danhua Lin - PLoS One, 14 Jan 2019

This study used magnetic resonance imaging to compare adolescent AIDS orphans reared in institutions with a sex- and age-matched group of healthy adolescents reared in families in China using a voxel-based morphometry analysis.

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Resource Compendium for Integration of Early Childhood Development into Programs for Children Orphaned or Made Vulnerable by HIV (OVC)

Beth Bradford - CRS, Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children), 10 Jan 2019

Written for USAID and PEPFAR implementing partners, with a focus on OVC practitioners, this is a user-friendly compendium of current resources, information and job aids for early childhood care, stimulation and education.

The neglect–enrichment continuum: Characterizing variation in early caregiving environments

Lucy S. King, Kathryn L. Humphreys, Ian H. Gotlib - Developmental Review, 09 Jan 2019

In this paper, the authors advance a framework for examining the nature and consequences of neglect, which they posit can be represented as variations along a continuum from severe psychosocial neglect to environmental enrichment.

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Manifiesto Para Equidad Racial y Liderazgo de Padres

Center for the Study of Social Policy, 02 Jan 2019

Para ayudarle a los sistemas de primera infancia en los E.E.U.U. a aprender a trabajar con padres de maneras que promuevan resultados equitativos y maximicen las oportunidades para todos los niños 40 padres líderes y personal de agencias de nueve comunidades de Early Childhood Learning and Innovation Network for Communities (EC-LINC) se reunieron en enero de 2018 para crear un manifiesto para el cambio.

5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return

The Harvard Center on the Developing Child, 2019

This brief guide from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child outlines 5 steps for primary caregivers to practice serve and return with their child.

5 Pasos para el Desarrollo Mental Saque y Volea

Harvard Center on the Developing Child, 2019

Esta guía breve del Harvard Center on the Developing Child presenta 5 pasos para cuidadores practicar “saque y volea” con su niño/a.

Responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences: An evidence review of interventions to prevent and address adversity across the life course

Lisa C.G. Di Lemma, Alisha R. Davies, Kat Ford, Karen Hughes, Lucia Homolova, Benjamin Gray, and Gillian Richardson - Public Health Wales and Bangor University, 2019

To support innovation in addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), the authors have undertaken a review of evidence on common approaches to prevent ACEs and/or mitigate their negative impacts in Wales.