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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Effects of institutional rearing and foster care on psychopathology at age 12 years in Romania: follow-up of an open, randomised controlled trial

Kathryn L Humphreys, Mary Margaret Gleason, Stacy S Drury, Devi Miron, Charles A Nelson 3rd, Nathan A Fox, Charles H Zeanah - The Lancet, 23 Jun 2015

This study examined psychopathology at age 12 years in a cohort of Romanian children who had been abandoned at birth and placed into institutional care, then assigned either to be placed in foster care or to care as usual.

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State of Africa’s Fathers 2015

Sonke Gender Justice, 17 Jun 2015

This report from Sonke Gender Justice is an adaptation of the global State of the World’s Fathers report, produced by Mencare. The report highlights the research and findings from the State of the World’s Fathers report that are specific to Africa.

Going Beyond Trauma Informed Care (TIC) Training for Child Welfare Supervisors and Frontline Workers: The Need for System Wide Policy Changes Implementing TIC practices in all Child Welfare Agencies

Kristin Heffernan & Pamela Viggiani - The Advanced Generalist: Social Work Research Journal, 1 (3/4), p 37-58, 01 Jun 2015

This article reviews current efforts to train child welfare workers in the US in trauma informed practices and argues that trauma informed care adaptation and training must transcend case workers and supervisors in order for true systemic change to occur.

“Connections for Success”

Child Protection Working Group - US-Russia Social Expertise Exchange (SEE), 27 May 2015

These videos demonstrate the importance of mentoring not only for vulnerable and foster youth, but also for the mentors themselves.

Every Kid Needs a Family: Giving Children in the Child Welfare System the Best Chance for Success

Annie E. Casey Foundation, 19 May 2015

This KIDS COUNT policy report highlights the benefits of family care for children and the need to prioritize family settings for all children in the child welfare system in the United States.

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.