Child Welfare Information

Learning Resources

 

Required Resources

 

Course Text:

 

• Safety, Nutrition, and Health in Early Education (5th ed.)
• • Chapter 5, “Emergency Response Procedures for Early Childhood Education Enviroments” (pp. 170–180) and (pp. 188–205)
  • Chapter 10, “Tools for Promoting Good Health in Children” (pp. 379–419)
  • Chapter 15, “Providing Mentally and Emotionally Healthy Environment” (pp. 574-589)
  • Chapter 14, “Child Maltreatment” (pp. 524–545 and 549–553)

 

Note: Peruse the following Web sites and online articles. You will need to refer to these resources when completing your Discussion and Application Assignment.

 

Web Sites:

 

• Child Welfare Information Gateway: Child Abuse and Neglect
  http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/
• FEMA
  http://www.fema.gov/
• American Red Cross
  http://www.redcross.org/

 

Articles:

 

• Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency: Bureau of Plans. (2003, August). Day care facilities emergency planning guide. Retrieved from http://www.pema.state.pa.us/pema/lib/pema/daycareplanningtoolkit/day_care_facilities_planning_guide.pdf
  Bureau of Plans Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency www.pema.state.pas.us
• Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2008, April). Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm
  Child Welfare Information Gateway. For more information: www.childwelfare.gov
• National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2004). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdf/childabusestand.pdf
  Reproduced with permission of National Association for the Education of Young Children in the format Scan via Copyright Clearance Center.
• National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. (n.d.). Signs and symptoms: Shaken baby syndrome. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from http://www.dontshake.org/sbs.php?topNavID=3&subNavID=22
• American Psychological Association. (2001). Understanding child sexual abuse: Education, prevention, and recovery. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/brochures/sex-abuse.aspx

 

Position Statement:

 

• Caregivers of Young Children: PReventing and Responding to Child Maltreatment
  http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/caregive/caregiveb.cfm
• Violence in the Lives of Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSVIOL98.PDF

 

Optional Resources

 

Web Sites:

 

• Prevent Child Abuse America
  http://www.preventchildabuse.org/index.shtml
• Child Abuse Prevention Network
  http://child.cornell.edu/
• Childhelp
  http://www.childhelp.org/
• Child Abuse and Neglect
  http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm

 

 

Child Maltreatment

 

 

Statistics show that children under the age of 6 are at the most risk for being abused and neglected, with children under the age of 1 having the highest rate of abuse and neglect. In addition, 84% of abusers are found to be parents (Robertson, p. 524). Anyone working with young children has a responsibility to recognize the signs and symptoms of abuse and intervene on the child’s (or children’s) behalf. Your involvement can help change the course of the child’s and family members’ lives.

Review and/or familiarize yourself with relevant information and guidelines about child maltreatment from your Learning Resources this week, including those in your text. (See Tables 14-2, 14-3, 14-4, 14-5, pages 530-538, and “Reality Check: Domestic Violence and Its Effects on Children’s Lives,” pages 542–544.)

By Day 3:

Reflect on what you have learned about this topic this week and consider the following:

 

• • The ethical responsibility of early childhood professionals with regard to protecting the health and well-being of young children
  • The short- and long-term ramifications of child maltreatment
  • Your state requirements with regard to reporting child maltreatment

 

 

Then, post a response based on the following scenario:

You are a professional working in a day care program for infants and children up to age 4. You begin to notice several signs exhibited by one of the 3-year-olds in your care that indicate possible abuse. You understand that child maltreatment is an extremely complicated situation; however, you also know it is your ethical and legal responsibility to act.

 

• What should you do first in order to determine whether or not you are correct in your suspicion of abuse?
• What intervention methods and strategies might you take in response to the situation?
• How could you support the child and his/her family through referrals or other means, ensuring that the child is protected throughout the process?
• What are your state’s procedures for documenting and reporting any observed maltreatment?