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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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.

Integrating Early Childhood Development and Violence Prevention - Webinar Recording

CPC Learning Network , 10 Dec 2014

On December 10, 2014, the CPC Learning Network hosted a webinar to discuss the integration of early childhood development and violence prevention.

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Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

U.S. Children’s Bureau, 01 Nov 2014

This factsheet discusses the nature of trauma, its effects on children and youth, and ways to help your child.

Peeling Back the Layers - Kinship Care in Victoria

Rachel Breman - Baptcare Research Unit in partnership with OzChild and Anchor, 01 Oct 2014

Baptcare, OzChild and Anchor - three organizations that provide kinship care services in Victoria, Australia - commissioned this research to explore the impact that complexity in care arrangements has on children and families in kinship care.

Saving Brains, A Grand Challenge

Dr. Mike Evans, 23 Sep 2014

This animated video, made by Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, illustrates the impacts of trauma and negative experiences on young children’s brain development and the ways in which healthy cognitive development can be promoted.

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What neuroscience and social science tell us about the effect of care environments on children

Dr. Kathryn Whetten & Dr. Charles Nelson, Christian Alliance for Orphans, 24 Aug 2014

This video features a segment of a talk on the effects of care environments on children, hosted by the Christian Alliance for Orphans. The key speakers featured include Dr. Kathryn Whetten & Dr. Charles Nelson, who discuss the Positive Outcomes for Orphans study (POFO) and the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP), respectively.

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