Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers

Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers is the first study of child development to be written specifically for practitioners in the child care and protection field. Summarising important current thinking on child development and applying it directly to practice, the book considers ways in which development can be interrupted, and explores concepts of vulnerability and resilience, while relating them closely to helping children who have been abused or have suffered other trauma.

The quality of children's human interactions, and the importance of assessing them as part of a social network, forms an important theme in this book. In particular, the authors outline how attachment theory can be helpful for child care and protection practice as it relates language and cognitive, moral and social development to the quality of human relationships. The impact of abuse and neglect on children in infancy, at school age and during adolescence is contrasted with outlines of what can be considered 'normal' development. Presenting case studies and opportunities to reflect on current methods of treating children, this book encourages practitioners to respond to the circumstances of each child as unique, and links theory and practice in an imaginative and sympathetic way.

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.

Brigid Daniel is Professor of Social Work at the University of Stirling. She is the co-author of a number of books on child care and protection and has a particular interest in factors that help children to cope with adversity. She was a member of the multi-disciplinary team that carried out a national ministerial review of child protection practice in Scotland.