Attachment and Child Welfare Practice To succeed in Volume 19, Number 3 Parent-child attachment has a powerful influ- To successfully ensure child welfare July 2014 ence on child welfare work. Healthy attach- the safety, permanence, practice, it helps to be ment gives children a solid foundation for and well-being of chil- This publication for child “attachment welfare professionals is their cognitive, social, and emotional devel- dren it really helps to be literate.” produced by the North opment. When attachment is secure, often “attachment literate.” This Carolina Division of Social things are much easier. means knowing what attachment is, how it Services and the Family Unfortunately, secure attachment isn’t works, and how to respond effectively to and Children’s Resource all we see in our work. Because abuse and attachment problems. Program, part of the Jordan neglect interfere with attachment, we fre- We hope this issue of Practice Notes will Institute for Families within quently encounter children and families be a helpful resource in your ongoing study the School of Social Work struggling with attachment security. of this important topic. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Why Attachment Matters In summarizing research, we Most of us are aware try to give you new ideas for Benefi ts of Secure Attachment refining your practice. How- attachment is an impor- Secure attachment has been linked to many ever, this publication is not tant part of healthy devel- positive child outcomes, including: intended to replace child opment. Yet we may not Brain Development. The brain grows welfare training, regular su- know exactly why attach- rapidly during the first three years of life. pervision, or peer consulta- ment is so important or Experiences shape how the brain grows. tion—only to enhance them. understand how secure attachment occurs. When it is stimulated in positive ways, the Secure Attachment brain forms connections related to those Let us hear from you! Attachment occurs when a child has a secure, experiences. For example, talking, singing, To comment about some- and reading to children help form brain thing that appears in Prac- consistent, reciprocal relationship with a pre- tice Notes, please contact: ferred person—typically the child’s primary pathways related to language. John McMahon caregiver. When the caregiver is sensitive to Attachment affects brain development in Jordan Institute for Families the child’s needs and responds in ways that two important ways. First, because the child School of Social Work are warm, nurturing, and make the child feel feels safe and cared for, the brain can use its UNC–Chapel Hill safe, the child begins to use this person as energy to develop pathways crucial for higher Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550 a secure base from which to explore and, level thinking. Secure attachment is particu- [email protected] when necessary, as a haven of safety and larly related to the development of the fron- Newsletter Staff comfort (Waters & Cummings, 2000 cited in tal cortex, which is responsible for decision Mellicent Blythe Benoit, 2004; Moulin, et al., 2014). making, judgment, and reasoning (DeBellis Sarah Marsh If a caregiver is consistently available, & Thomas, 2003; Dozier, et al., 2008). John McMahon responsive, and nurturing, by the final Second, by providing a “home base” Laura Phipps months of the first year the child’s attach- from which a child can safely explore the Visit Our Website ment to that person is very likely to be world, secure attachment allows the child to www.practicenotes.org “secure,” meaning the child is confident the have more varied experiences and therefore caregiver will always be available to help or build more connections in the brain. save them (Bowlby, 1982; Wolpert, 1999). Social & Emotional Development. Attachment matters. Although it’s most Attachment to a primary caregiver is the obvious when we’re young, its powerful foundation of all future relationships. When influence is felt throughout our lives. there is a secure attachment, cont. next page Why Attachment Matters continued from the previous page you learn how to trust others, how to respond emotionally, and how others Some Indicators of Secure Attachment will respond to you (Bowlby, 1982). Child’s behavior Parent’s behavior In addition, secure attachment leads 1 to 18 months to the development of empathy. If a • Signals needs; relaxes when need is met • Responds to baby’s signal; identifies child sees herself as worthwhile and • Responsive; has full range of emotions needs most of the time deserving of care, she is also able to • Checks back to parents for reassurance • Returns to relaxation along with baby; when strangers are present feels good about self and child see others that way. Only when a child • Exhibits anxiety, anger, or flattened • Offers nurturing, soothing responses believes her own basic needs will be affect when parents leave • Woos child, initiates positive interac- met can she attend to others’ needs. • Pleased when reunited with parents tions, calls baby by name The child works first to please her pri- • Checks in to feel safe when exploring • Makes frequent eye contact with child • Turns to parents for comfort • Encourages safe exploration mary caretaker and over time extends 18 Months to Five Years her concerns to siblings, friends, class- mates, community members, and, as • Can handle longer periods of • Responsive to child’s needs and cues separation (in hours) without anxiety • Encourages growing autonomy and her moral development continues, to • Increasing ability to accept redirection, praises accomplishments people she has never met. discipline, and authority • Redirects/sets limits when needed Self-Regulation. When caregivers • Shows empathy, remorse, and guilt without overreacting to bad behavior respond to them, infants learn to man- • Uses “wooing” and “coercion” to try to • Enjoys reciprocal affection and influence parents interaction with child age their own feelings and behavior. Grade School When infants are overwhelmed, stress hormones are released in the brain. • Behaves as though he likes himself • Interested in child’s school performance • Shows pride in accomplishments • Accepts expression of negative feelings When caregivers respond with sooth- • Exhibits confidence in own abilities • Responds to child’s needs and fears ing behaviors, they help the child • Accepts limits imposed by adults • Initiates appropriate signs of affection reduce these hormones. • Establishes eye contact • Seems to enjoy the child Over time, the brain develops • Expresses likes and dislikes • Knows child’s likes and dislikes pathways that allow this soothing Adolescents behavior to kick in during periods of • Knows personal strengths/weaknesses • Encourages self-control stress. Eventually the child is able to • Engages in positive peer interactions • Trusts adolescent with increasing levels • Exhibits signs of conscience of responsibility calm themselves when they are angry • Involved in interests outside the home • Interested in/accepts teen’s friends or disappointed. • Developing goals for the future • Interested in teen’s school performance Trauma and Attachment • Emotionally close to parents • Shows affection Inherent in the trauma of child abuse Sources: Queensland Department of Child Safety, 2007; Fahlberg, 1991 and neglect are experiences of fear, stress, and rejection by the very per- in a position to help support secure Provide concrete supports. Over- son who is supposed to protect and attachment with both biological and whelmed caregivers have difficulty soothe the child. Because these emo- resource parents. Here’s how: focusing on the needs of children and tional experiences are in direct con- Educate. Make sure caregivers are not as effective at reading and flict with the experiences that promote know why secure attachment matters responding to cues. Providing con- attachment, it follows that children and the behaviors that build it. Mes- crete supports and resources that help with a history of maltreatment often sages to send include (Dozier, et al., caregivers manage stress allows them have attachment problems. to focus on their children’s needs. 2008; Wittamer, 2011): Children with trauma histories may In addition, young and inexperi- • Be responsive and warm have a wide range of problems related enced parents may need to build their • Respond to children’s needs to lack of secure attachment; these knowledge of parenting and child • Soothe children in distress include developmental delays, difficulty development. Although parenting with emotional regulation, impaired • Learn to read and respond to programs can help with this, they are social relationships, aggression, low children’s cues not all alike. Look for programs, such self-esteem, and depression (Hildyard • Spend time together (quantity matters) as the Incredible Years, Attachment & Wolfe, 2002; Erickson & Egeland, • Engage in positive physical contact and Biobehavioral Catch-Up, and 2002; Shipman, et al., 2005). (hugging, singing, holding, etc.) Circle of Parents, that have a specific Supporting Secure Attachment • Play with children, specifically in focus on cultivating skills that build As a child welfare worker you are activities that support reciprocity. attachment (Wittamer, 2011). 2 Identifying Attachment Problems Understanding the quality of a child’s attachment with his ural. Most children have attachment Attachment isn’t caregivers can help you intervene more effectively to pro- that can