The first 36 months of a child's life are a period of incredible brain development. What happens during these first months and years sets a child on their developmental pathway toward school and adulthood.
What do we know about children in foster care during these early years of life? Infants and toddlers in foster care are at increased risk of poor developmental outcomes as a result of increased uncertainty in their lives, and they are at increased risk of abuse, neglect and residential transience. The lasting implications of maltreatment and toxic stress on the cognitive, social and emotional growth of young children can have permanent ramifications if not suitably addressed.
Fast Facts:
- Approximately 20% of Shelby County children in state custody are less than five years of age (TN Department of Children Services, 2007).
- Almost 3 out 4 Shelby County child victim reports state that the child was neglected or physically abused (fosteringcourtimprovement.org). Abuse and neglect interferes with the positive growth of the synaptic links in the brain that are crucial to cognitive functioning and social well-being.
- In Shelby County, the median length of stay for children in foster care (March, 2007) is 22.8 months, almost eleven months longer than the state of Tennessee median length of stay of 12.1 months. Once they have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care, infants and toddlers are more likely than older children to stay in foster care longer (Wulczyn & Hislop, Zero to Three).
Policy Recommendations (From Zero to Three):
- Make sure that lawmakers and judges are knowledgeable about child growth and use that information to regulate security and permanence.
- Evaluate the psychological health needs of our youngest children in state custody and administer treatment as required.
- Increase and allocate solid funding to boost preventive services that safeguard and assist families.
For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org; and The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County, available at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/DatabookProcessor.php.
References:
Fostering Court Improvement. (2007). Statistics for Shelby County. Chicago, IL. Available at
http://fosteringcourtimprovement.org/tn/County/Shelby.
TN Department of Children’s Services. (2007). Annual Report FY 2007. Nashville, TN. Available at http://www.tn.gov/youth/dcsguide/annualreport2007.pdf.
Wulczyn & Hislop, “Babies in Foster Care: The Numbers Call for Attention.” ZERO TO THREE Journal 22, no. 4, 14-15.
Zero to Three. (2009). Early Experiences Matter Policy Guide. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
Showing posts with label brain development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brain development. Show all posts
28 April 2009
18 February 2008
Poverty and Brain Development
On Saturday, the Financial Times reported the following: "Poverty in early childhood poisons the brain." Family stresses over finances and daily living contribute to the under-development of the critical neural networks for children even before they are born.
Martha Farah - who directs University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience - said, "The biggest effects are on language and memory. The finding about memory impairment - the ability to encounter a pattern and remember it - really surprised us."
We know that the bulk (80%) of brain development occurs between birth and age three. How the brain is hardwired in utero and in early toddlerhood sets the stage for what happens later in life. Interventions that target very young children, and especially those in poverty, can help to offset the negative influences that poverty brings in a child's life. Children in poverty are more likely to live near and interact with other children facing the same challenges - places called areas of concentrated poverty. They are also more likely to attend school with other students who are Economically Disadvantaged (i.e. eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunches).
A New York Times op-ed by Paul Krugman amplifies these sentiments: "Living in or near poverty has always been a form of exile. But the distance between the poor and the rest of us is much greater than it was 40 years ago, because most American incomes have risen in real terms while the official poverty line has not. To be poor in America today, even more than in the past, is to be an outcast in your own country. And that, the neuroscientists tell us, is what poisons a child's brain."
Not only is it the neural networks but the social networks that matter to a child's development. The more social networks - the social safety net - the better the chances are that a child will grow up in a safe, nurturing environment. The more neural networks, the better the brain functions in the long run. When it comes to brain development, more IS better.
There are three important things to remember about interventions which target children facing poverty:
Martha Farah - who directs University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience - said, "The biggest effects are on language and memory. The finding about memory impairment - the ability to encounter a pattern and remember it - really surprised us."
We know that the bulk (80%) of brain development occurs between birth and age three. How the brain is hardwired in utero and in early toddlerhood sets the stage for what happens later in life. Interventions that target very young children, and especially those in poverty, can help to offset the negative influences that poverty brings in a child's life. Children in poverty are more likely to live near and interact with other children facing the same challenges - places called areas of concentrated poverty. They are also more likely to attend school with other students who are Economically Disadvantaged (i.e. eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunches).
A New York Times op-ed by Paul Krugman amplifies these sentiments: "Living in or near poverty has always been a form of exile. But the distance between the poor and the rest of us is much greater than it was 40 years ago, because most American incomes have risen in real terms while the official poverty line has not. To be poor in America today, even more than in the past, is to be an outcast in your own country. And that, the neuroscientists tell us, is what poisons a child's brain."
Not only is it the neural networks but the social networks that matter to a child's development. The more social networks - the social safety net - the better the chances are that a child will grow up in a safe, nurturing environment. The more neural networks, the better the brain functions in the long run. When it comes to brain development, more IS better.
There are three important things to remember about interventions which target children facing poverty:
- Proven programs work. Head Start has had tremendous success in giving disadvantaged children a lift. Early Head Start - the program which works with pregnant moms and children until their third birthday - is a tremendous asset to children and families in poverty.
- Every little bit helps. Talking to your child more. Looking your child in the eyes. Using more words (5-word sentences are best). Reading to and with your children. All these things contribute to gains that last over a lifetime.
- The effects of specific programs and interventions as well as what happens every day at home and in the community to alleviate the effects of poverty are cumulative.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
