Healthy Child Development

Healthy child development is influenced by a child's early interaction with parents and caregivers. However the community that you live in also plays a role in the development of your children. access to quality healthcare, safe and affordable housing, quality early learning, afterschool programs, and enriching educational, cultural and spiritual experiences also help promote healthy child development. Certain proactive factors help to keep your family strong. Proactive factors are conditions in the family and the community that when present, increase the health and well being of children and families. These qualities serve as safeguard by helping parents find solutions to life challenges.

Several Protective Factors
Knowledge Of Parenting And Child Development:
(Being a great parent is part natural and part learned)

children thrive not only when parents provide affection, but also respectful communication and listening, consistent rules and expectations, and safe opportunities that promote independence. Successful parenting fosters positive psychological adjustment, help children succeed in school, encourages curiosity about the world and motivates children to achieve.

Nurturing And Attachment:
( A close bond helps parents understand, respond to and communicate with their children)

A child's early experience of being nurtured and developing a bond with a caring adult affects all aspect of behavior and development. When parents and children have warm feelings for each other, children develop the trust that their parents will provide what they need to thrive, including love, acceptance, positive guidance and protection.

Parental Resilience:
(Being strong and flexible)

Parents who can cope with the stress of everyday life as well as an occasional crisis have resilience, they have the flexibility and inner strength necessary to bounce back when things are not going well. Multiple stressors such as poor health, marital conflicts, domestic or community violence, unemployment, poverty and homelessness may reduce a parents capacity to cope effectively with the typical day to day stress of raising children.

Social Connection:
(parents need friends)

Parents with a network of emotionally supportive friends, family members and neighbors often find that it is easier to care for their children and themselves. Most parents need people that they can call on at times when they need a sympathetic listener, advice or concrete support. Research has shown that parents who are isolated with few social connections are at higher risk for abusive and neglectful behavior.

Concrete Support

(Parents need help sometimes)

Identifying and accessing resources in the community may help prevent the stress that leads to child maltreatment. providing concrete support may also help prevent the unintended neglect that sometimes occurs when parents are unable to provide for their children's basic needs.

Social And Emotional Competence Of  Children

(Healthy child development)

Children's ability to interact positively with others, self regulate their  behavior and effectively communicate their feelings has a positive impact on the relationship with their family, other adults and their peers. Parents and caregivers grow more responsive to children's needs and are less likely to feel stressed or frustrated as children learn to tell parents what they need and how parental actions make them feel, rather than acting out difficult feelings.