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Novel Ways to Think Novel Ways to Think About Child Well-About Child Well-

BeingBeing

In Troubled Times: Fresh Approaches to In Troubled Times: Fresh Approaches to Working With Vulnerable Children in High-Working With Vulnerable Children in High-

Risk FamiliesRisk Families

Center for Advanced Studies in Child WelfareCenter for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare

May, 2009May, 2009

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How Well-Being is How Well-Being is Traditionally SeenTraditionally Seen

Risk ReductionRisk Reduction PreventionPrevention

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A Way of Re-Imagining our Work A Way of Re-Imagining our Work inin Relation to Developmental Well- Relation to Developmental Well-Being Being

(-)(-)

Risk ReductionRisk Reduction

(0)(0)

PreventionPrevention

(+)(+)

PromotionPromotion

Traditional Traditional WorkWork

Progressive Progressive WorkWork

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The Universality of Protective The Universality of Protective

Factors/Processes Factors/Processes “Buffers [protective factors] make a more profound impact on the life course of children who grow up under adverse conditions than do specific risk factors or stressful life events. They appear to transcend ethnic, social class, geographical, and historical boundaries”

(Werner & Smith)

Harm ReductionHarm Reduction PromotionPromotion

Positive Positive Behavior Behavior FocusedFocused

• Protective Factors/ Processes

• Supports and Opportunities for Healthy Development and Developmental Well-Being

Problem Problem Behavior Behavior FocusedFocused

• Risk Factors/Processes

• Threats to Development

• Developmental Deficits

Harm Reduction Promotion

Positive Behavior Focused

Problem Behavior Focused

(B) Purpose / Intent(B) Purpose / Intent

is tois to

DO BETTERDO BETTER

(D)(D) Purpose / IntentPurpose / Intent

is tois to

THRIVETHRIVE

(A)(A)Purpose / Intent Purpose / Intent

is tois to

STOPSTOP

(C) Purpose / Intent(C) Purpose / Intent

is tois to

OVERCOMEOVERCOME

Harm Reduction Promotion

Positive Behavior Focused

Problem Behavior Focused

(B)(B) CompensatoryCompensatory

Minimize RisksMinimize Risks

by by EncouragingEncouraging

Healthy Behaviors Healthy Behaviors

(D) (D) DevelopmentalDevelopmental

Promote Competencies andPromote Competencies and

Skills by Skills by FosteringFostering Healthy Healthy

BehaviorsBehaviors

(A)(A) CessationCessation

Minimize RisksMinimize Risks

by by EndingEnding

Unhealthy BehaviorsUnhealthy Behaviors

(C)(C) RemedialRemedial

Promote CompetenciesPromote Competencies

and Skills by and Skills by PrevailingPrevailing

Over Unhealthy Over Unhealthy

BehaviorsBehaviors

Harm Reduction Promotion

Positive Behavior Focused

Problem Behavior Focused

(B) (B) Child MaltreatmentChild Maltreatment

CompensatoryCompensatory

Social and Social and Neighborhood NetworksNeighborhood Networks

(D) (D) Child MaltreatmentChild Maltreatment

DevelopmentalDevelopmental

Parental Capacity-BuildingParental Capacity-Building

(A)(A) Child MaltreatmentChild Maltreatment

Cessation Cessation

Stop Harm Potential Stop Harm Potential

(C) (C) Child MaltreatmentChild Maltreatment

Remedial Remedial

Anger ManagementAnger Management

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Distinguishing Goals and Objectives

Cessation Parents stop behaving in ways that endanger the safety of their child/children.

Compensatory Parents are linked to formal and informal sources of social

support.Remedial Parents learn how to manage their emotional state in constructive ways.Developmental Parents acquire the motivation and skills to change their employment situation..

Harm Reduction Promotion

Positive Behavior Focused

Problem Behavior Focused

(B)(B) Parent EngagementParent Engagement

Compensatory

Concrete Alternatives to Concrete Alternatives to Permissive Parenting Permissive Parenting

(D) (D) Parent EngagementParent Engagement

Developmental

Enhancing Authoritative Enhancing Authoritative Parenting Parenting

(A)(A) Parent EngagementParent Engagement

Cessation

Stop Authoritarian Stop Authoritarian Parenting Parenting

(C)(C)Parent EngagementParent Engagement

Remedial

Surmount Making a Child Surmount Making a Child the Scapegoat the Scapegoat

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Distinguishing Goals and Objectives

Cessation Parents end harsh and abusive behavior.

Compensatory Parents will learn how to set age appropriate

boundaries and rules.Remedial Parents will no longer accidentally, or deliberately, target a particular child in the family.Developmental Parents will strengthen children’s sense of self- efficacy through supportive and encouraging actions..

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The Developmental Ingredients of Educational Well-Being

“We need to focus on…the 3 R’s: Resilience, Readiness, and Relationship.”

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley

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The Essence of Resilience The Essence of Resilience

“A pattern of positive adaptation in the context of past or present adversity.”

(Goldstein & Brooks, 2005)

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The Breadth of ResilienceThe Breadth of Resilience

“What began as a quest to understand the

extraordinary has revealed the power of the

ordinary. Resilience does not come from

rare and special qualities, but from the

everyday magic of ordinary, normative

human resources in the minds, brains, and

bodies of children, in their families and

relationships, and in their communities” (Masten, 1999).

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Redefining ReadinessRedefining Readiness

Requires Adopting a “3-3’rd” Perspective

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The Emphasis of the The Emphasis of the Preschool to Third Grade Preschool to Third Grade ApproachApproachAccording to the Pre K – 3’rd Data Resource Center “Standards, curriculum, instruction and assessment

are based on knowledge of children’s development over this period. The focus is not just on subject matter competency, but also the development of social, self-regulatory, and motivational capacities critical to support learning.”

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We Need to “Embrace” We Need to “Embrace” RelationshipRelationship

Necessitates Recognizing the Importance of

Socio-Emotional Learning (CASEL) and Developmental Assets (Search Institute)

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Socio-Emotional Socio-Emotional Development’s Link to Development’s Link to School ReadinessSchool Readiness “Young children without developmentally appropriate

emotional and social competencies participate less in the classroom, and are less expected by classmates and teachers to achieve. Teachers provide them with less instruction and positive feedback. They like school less and learn less” (60).

“Such social–emotional competence of young children predicts their academic performance in first grade, even when controlling for their actual cognitive skills and family backgrounds” (60).

Denham, S. A. (2006). Social–emotional competence as support for school readiness: What is it and how do we assess it? Early Education and Development, 17 (1), 57–89.

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Socio-Emotional Socio-Emotional Development’s Development’s Link to AcademicsLink to Academics Cognitive and emotional skills are interconnected, thus

by promoting emotion-related skills one is helping to foster academic competence.

Students with less emotional control tend to worse academically than their peers (this is even when controlling for cognitive abilities, family background (i.e. SES).

Valiente, C., Chalfant-Lemery,K., & Castro, K.S. (2007). Children’s effortful control and academic competence. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly,

53 (1), 1–25.

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Search Institute’s Search Institute’s Developmental AssetsDevelopmental Assets

Define Socio-Emotional Elements &

Define Socio-Emotional Targets

for children

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Search Institute’s Search Institute’s Developmental AssetsDevelopmental Assets

Research Base of Developmental Assets

Synthesis of Studies and Empirical Findings From Multiple Literatures

search-institute.org

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Developmental AssetsDevelopmental Assets

Research/Evaluation Synthesis• Child and adolescent development literature

• Resilience literature

• Prevention literature

• Pediatrics & psychiatric literature

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Translation of Research Translation of Research BaseBase Adolescent Developmental Assets

Framework (grades 7-12)

Middle Childhood Developmental Assets Framework (grades 4-6)

Early Middle Childhood Developmental Assets Framework (K-3)

Early Childhood Developmental Assets Framework (preschool)

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The Impact of Parental The Impact of Parental InvolvementInvolvementParent involvement in elementary school isassociated with highest grade completed, higher rates of high school completion, and increased rates of on-time high school completion.

(Barnard, 2003)

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Pay Particular Attention to the Pay Particular Attention to the

Home Learning EnvironmentHome Learning EnvironmentConcentrate on the qualities and features of thehome learning environment which are more crucial to cognitive and social development than what jobs parents have, how much money they make, and how much school they completed.

(Evangelou, Brooks, and Smith, 2007)

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Factors that Enhance The Home Environment

Strengthening Family

Resilience

Froma Walsh,

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