Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers

About the Book

Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers is a classic text for students and practitioners in the child care and protection field which summarises important current thinking on child development and applies it directly to practice.

The book covers key issues such as resilience and vulnerability and the impact of protective or adverse environments. Different stages of development (infancy, school age and adolescence) are discussed, and attachment theory is used to offer insights into the impact of abuse and neglect on development. A key feature is the inclusion of case studies and activities to allow the reader to improve their understanding and reflect on good practice. This second edition is fully updated to reflect the new policy context and multi-disciplinary practice, and contains updated practice examples to take into account contemporary issues affecting children and young people.

This book encourages practitioners to consider each child as an individual with unique circumstances, and links theory and practice in an imaginative and sympathetic way. It will be essential reading for all child care and protection workers.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements. Foreword. David Howe, University of East Anglia, UK. 1. Framework for understanding child development. 2. Developing relationships. 3. Parenting and care-giving. 4. Resilience and vulnerability. 5. Protective factors and adversity. 6. Early years. 7. School years. 8. Adolescence. 9. Stress and support in the lives of children facing adversity. References. Index.

About the Author :
Brigid Daniel is Professor of Social Work at the University of Stirling. She is the co-author of numerous books on child care and protection including The Early Years, The School Years, and Adolescence, co-authored with Sally Wassell; Engaging with Fathers, co-authored with Julie Taylor; and Child Neglect, co-edited with Julie Taylor, all published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Sally Wassell is an independent consultant and trainer in child care and an associate lecturer at Dundee University. Robbie Gilligan is Professor of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College Dublin and associate director of the Children's Research Centre. He has written extensively on child care and foster care.

Review :

Praise for the first edition:

'Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers offers a good solid account of child development rooted in attachment theory - the current hot topic in childcare social work.'

What a refreshing change to read a text on child development which is child-focused and embedded in an appropriate theoretical background... The bibliography is extensive and appropriate, and throughout there are suggested activities for the students to investigate. I found the activities to be thought-provoking, challenging and an excellent guide to a fully focused assessment of children. The child-focused nature of the text shines throughout... It is to be hoped that this text is used widely, and that the next generation of child protection workers has the understanding and the knowledge to enable well-informed, child-focused decision making in child protection.

Praise for the second edition:

'The inclusion of 'hints for answers' is a useful tool for relating theory to practice. 'Key messages' at the end of each chapter are helpful, as they allow the preceding chapter to be successfully summarised.

Another positive feature of this book is that the layout enables the reader either to identify particular chapters relevant to their practice and read them in isolation or make sense of them in the wider context of the book. The text should also be praised for recognising the importance of considering each child as an individual, and taking wider environmental factors and the impact they have, into consideration. I would recommend this book to students and practitioners working in areas of child care and protection, as it is easy to read, and can be applied to the individual's own practice.'

The continuing strength of this text is that it synthesises knowledge of child development with the daily realities for child care practitioners. It is most definitely a book that is meant not just to be read but to be applied and can, in my opinion, help to reinvigorate the "drained" practitioner. I think this book is an extremely useful resource for social workers and would be of particular value to foster carers and other professionals such as teachers and health professionals. It is above alla book that equips professionals with rich theoretical knowledge which encourages us all to actively contribute to promoting resilience and protective factors in children and young people. ... it really would be a shame to miss this book's contents... To pluck one notable example of the useful material on offer, I would draw your attention to page 106 in the Protective Factors and Adversity chapter as somewhere to go if you really need to consider ''what constitutes risk and harm?'' This section helps the reader to really consider interpreting, assessing and managing those two concepts, and, very importantly, managing them in some very sensitive family situations. This chapter explains succinctly what to look at and why. I can't say more - it's a definite must have - my copy is going nowhere. [The authors] have fashioned a book that is informed and informative, theoretically wise and practically useful. Readers will value Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers for the wisdom that it brings and the guidance that it offers. And armed with the knowledge so neatly wrapped up in the pages of this very sensible book, the reflective practitioner will be well placed to make young lives that much better. The second edition of this highly regarded book is most welcome. The chapters, written by experts in the field, will assist those working with children and young people to understand key developmental processes. The practical approach used throughout this book will also ensure practitioners are well equipped to undertake child-centred assessments and identify appropriate interventions.