The Young Child in Foster Care: Development and Growth
3.0 Training Hours
Training Course from the Alaska Center for Resource Families
Introduction to Course
Why Know About Child Development?
Why is child development important to know about?
What are developmental milestones? Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. Although each milestone has an age level, the actual age when a normally developing child reaches that milestone can very quite a bit. Every child is unique!
General Areas of Development
Children are growing on many different levels and it is important to be mindful of their development in these areas. Roll your mouse over each of the following boxes to get a more detailed definition of each area of development.
When Children Lag In Development
Some children will be ahead in some areas and lag behind in others. Children’s growth depends on genetics, environment and temperament. But if a child is lagging in an area or in all areas, it is important that resource parents bring it to the attention of the caseworker and the child's health care provider. First, you have to know what to look for and help children develop in all areas. Then, you need to know what to do if you think there is a problem. Whether you’ve raised several children or are a brand new parent, child development is fascinating and important. When you are caring for children in foster care, it is especially important to have a good grasp of child development because so many children in foster care are at risk for delays, regression and disabilities. You can be a better advocate for your foster child if you know about development and how your child stacks up.
