Rethinking Young Child ‘Neglect’ from a Science- Informed, Two … · 2018-11-21 · Rethinking...
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Rethinking Young Child ‘Neglect’ from a Science- Informed, Two-Genera?on Framework A Workshop for Prac??oners and Funders 2016 ICS Research Ins?tute CharloJe, NC October 13, 2016 Janice M. Gruendel, Ph.D., M.Ed. jmgruendel@ins?tuteforchildsuccess.org 1
Transcript of Rethinking Young Child ‘Neglect’ from a Science- Informed, Two … · 2018-11-21 · Rethinking...
RethinkingYoungChild‘Neglect’fromaScience-
Informed,Two-Genera?onFramework
AWorkshopforPrac??onersandFunders2016ICSResearchIns?tute
CharloJe,NCOctober13,2016
JaniceM.Gruendel,Ph.D.,M.Ed.jmgruendel@ins?tuteforchildsuccess.org
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Recently,thena?onalchildwelfarecaseloadincludedabout320,000casesofsubstan?atedneglectinvolvingyoungchildrenbetweenagesofbirthandsixyears.Ofthese,about100,000wereinfants.That’sequaltoabout2500schoolbusescarryingonlyinfantsorthreefootballstadiumsfullofbabies…Acrossthena?on,neglectaccountsfor60-80%ofsubstan?atedcasesoverall.
AFewFastFacts
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• Abandonment• Notprovidingforbasicneeds(nutri8on,clothinghygiene)PhysicalNeglect
• Isola8ngthechild;Notprovidingaffec8onoremo8onalsupport
• Exposingchildtodomes8cviolenceorsubstanceabuse
Emo?onalNeglect
• DelayingordenyingrecommendedhealthcareMedicalNeglect
Educa?onalNeglect
InadequateSupervision
• Leavingachildunsupervised;Notprotec8ngfromsafetyhazards• Inadequatecaregiving;Engaginginharmfulbehavior
• Failingtoenrollchildinschoolortohomeschool• IgnoringspecialneedsorpermiGngchronicabsenteeism
DefiningNeglect:
Actsof
Omissionbythe
GrownUpsina
Child’sLife
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PovertyCaregiverchildhoodadversity(ACESViolenceinthecommunityExperiencingracism
AcutelifestressAcutemental&physicalhealthcrises
AcuteschoolproblemsAcutefamilyrela?onshipconflict
Childbehavior,MHorphysicalhealthproblems
CaregiverMH&physicalhealthproblems,orsubstanceabuse
Impairedchild-caregiverrela?onship
FamilyconflictSocialisola?onEverydaystress
ACF:RiskFactorsforNeglect:InterlockingChallenges
Situa?onalRiskFactors
EnduringRiskFactors
UnderlyingRiskFactors
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TheSpecialCaseofChronicRisk:ThePile-OnEffect
ACF:Chronicriskisan‘ongoing,seriouspaJernofdepriva?on’ofachild’sbasicneedsthatresultsin‘accumula?onofharm.’Chronicneglectcanbehardtoiden?fyandtreat;affectedfamiliesfacecomplexongoingproblemsthatrequirespecialized,oienlong-terminterven?onsandcoordinatedcommunitysupport.”Harvard:“Extensivebiologicalanddevelopmentalresearchshowssignificantneglect—theongoingdisrup?onorsignificantabsenceofcaregiverresponsiveness—cancausemorelas?ngharmtoayoungchild’sdevelopmentthanovertphysicalabuse,includingsubsequentcogni?vedelays,impairmentsinexecu?vefunc?oning,anddisrup?onofthebody’sstressresponse.”
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TheSpecialCaseofPovertyPovertyCanDisableParen8ng,Resul8nginActsofOmission“Whenparentsstruggletoprovidefortheday-to-daynecessi?esoftheirchildren,theycanfeelanxious,depressed,fearful,andoverwhelmed.Thestressoflivinginharsh,deprivedcondi?onscanhaveadisablingeffectonparen?ngcapaci?es,resul?ngininconsistentdiscipline,failuretorespondtoachild’semo?onalneeds,orfailuretopreventoraddressapoten?alforsafety.”PovertyCanChangetheBiologyofBodies“Livingwithchronicpovertycancreatebiochemicalchangesinbrainfunc?oningofbothadultsandchildrenthatnega?velyimpacttheirhealth,mentalhealth,andexecu?vefunc?oning.Theimpactofthesebiologicalchangesismostsignificantforchildrenintheirearlyyearsbecausethatiswhenbraingrowthismostrapidandtheneuralarchitectureisexpandingandsolidifying.” 6
WeAllHaveStress,ButToxicStressHasAVeryLongArm
NormalStress
Normal:Geongimmunized;Mee?ngnewpeople;Star?ngsomethingnewTolerable:SeriousIllness;Deathofalovedone;Frighteningaccident;Acrimoniousdivorce;Persistentdiscrimina?onToxicStress:Tolerablestressthatisnotbufferedbycaring,ac?velypresentadultpersonsorpeers.Thebody’sstresssystemac?vatesandstaysathighlevels“likerevvingacar’sengineforhourseveryday.”Cancausedamageatthecellularlevel,impactonhealthandmentalhealth,andpassfromonegenera?ontothenext.
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Scienceofpoverty,scarcity&racism
Scienceofadversity,trauma&toxicstress
Neuroscience:EarlybraindevelopmentExecu?vefunc?on&self-regula?onskillsforchildren,youth&youngadultsMindfulness,Empathyandjoy
Scienceofresilience:InternalandExternalProtec?veFactors
Implementa?onScience
“Science”
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Adversity,toxicstressandtrauma,includingpoverty,inearlychildhood…
Canimpactadulthealthandmentalhealthoverthelife?meandcannega?velyimpactaparent’scapacityforposi?veparen?ng…
Whichimpactthedevelopmentoftheseparentsyoungchildren’sbrainsandbodysystems,andsothecyclecon?nues…
Theneurosciencereallyma[ersbecausenega8veeffectsoftoxicstressandtraumacanimpactourneurologic,genomicandhormonalsystemsacrossgenera8ons…
What can we do that is BETTER
than the best we have done so far?
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UsetheScience
• Adoptatwo-genscience-informedTheoryofChangetoguidedata-developmentanduse,fiscalinvestment,professionaldevelopmentandsupport,andpolicyadvocacywiththeexecu?ve,legisla?veandjudicialbranches
FindProblemsEarly
● Assuretheearlyiden?fica?onofhealth,behavioralanddevelopmentaldelaysandaddresschallengesinchildren’sfirstfiveyears,includinginlanguagedevelopment,mentalhealth,andearlybehavioralself-regula?on
AddressStress
● Provideorfund“evidence-based”servicesandsupportthateffec?velyaddresstheimpactofACES,toxicstressanddepressiononparentalcaregivingcapacity,kinshipfosterfamilies,andchildwelfareotherfront-linecaseworkersandsupervisorystaff
BuildaConnectedSystem
● Investinatwo-gendata-informedintergenera?onal,cross-sectorservicesystemdesignedto(a)reduceourownnega?veimpactonfamiliesand(b)strengthenfamilyskillsastheirchildren’sprimarycaregiversandteachers
WeCanMakeSensibleChangesinOurPoliciesandPrograms
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WrapAroundtheFamilyUnit
• Communitysupportsandservicesaredeliveredtothechildandparent(orotherprimarycaregiver)simultaneouslyaswellasindividually,andarewrappedaroundthefamilyasawhole.
TaketheTimeNeeded
● Supportmayextendforoneortwoyears,andsome?meslonger.
● Whenstressorsarechronicandtoxic,longerisneeded.
FocusonStrengthsandResilience
● Servicesandsupportsquicklyfocusonindividualandfamilystrengthsandassets,includingwithintheextendedfamily● Buildoncommunityprotec?vefactorsincludingpeernetworks
BuildingFamilyPowerthroughTeaming
● “Power”passestothefamilyasweencourageandsupportfamilydecision-making● Provideinforma?ontofamiliessoourprac?ceandprocessesaretransparent
WeCanAdoptMul8-Genera8onal,Science-InformedPrac8ces
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Ifwedon’trethinkyoungchild‘neglect’…Wewillcon?nuetosee:
❑ Toomanybabiesbornintocircumstanceswherefamiliesstruggletomeettheirneeds
❑ Racial,ethnic,income,healthandeduca?ondispari?esthatcon?nueacrossgenera?ons
❑ Schoolsproblemswillcon?nuetoincludelackofschoolreadiness,chronicabsenteeism,behavioralincidents
❑ Childwelfare“kincare”mayfailbecauseoflackofknowledgeandinvestmentinextendedfamilies
❑ Theprevalenceofriskfactorsfor‘neglect’thatarewaytoohighleavingouryoungestchildrenwaytoovulnerable.
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Noexcuses…..Wecandothis,together.
UsefulResourcesfromtheIns8tuteforChildSuccessGruendel,J.,Cagle,B.andBaker,H.RethinkingYoungChild‘Neglect’fromaScience-Informed,Two-Genera?onPerspec?ve(November2015)Gruendel,J.DesigningforOutcomesthroughaTwo-Genera?onLens:GoodScienceandGoodCommonSense(March2015)
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