What is Child Development?
Child Development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood. During this process a child progresses from dependency on their parents/guardians to increasing independence. Child Development is strongly influenced by genetic factors (genes passed on from their parents) and events during prenatal life. It is also influenced by environmental facts and the child’s learning capacity.
Child Development can be actively enhanced through targeted therapeutic intervention and the ‘just right’ home-based practice, recommended by Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists.
What does Child Development include?
Child Development covers the full scope of skills that a child masters over their life span including development in:
i) Cogntion – the ability to learn and problems solve.
ii) Social interaction and emotional regulation – interacting with others and mastering self-control
iii) Speech and Language – understanding and using language, reading and communicating
iv) Physical skills – fine motor (finger) skills and gross motor (whole body) skills
v) Sensory awareness – the registration of sensory information for use
Why is Child Development Important?
Observing and monitoring child development is an important tool to ensure that children meet their ‘developmental milestones’. Developmental milestones (a ‘loose’ list of developmental skills that believed to be mastered at roughly the same time for all children but that are far from exact) act as a useful guideline of ideal development.
By checking a child’s developmental progress at particular age markers against these arbitrary time frames, it allows a ‘check in’ to ensure that the child is roughly ‘on track’ for their age. If not, this checking of developmental milestones can be helpful in the early detection of any hiccups in development. This ‘check’ is usually carried out through child/mother services and Paediatricians as infants and toddlers, and later through preschool and school term skills assessments.
The earliest possible detection (and early intervention treatment if appropriate) of developmental challenges can be helpful in minimizing the impact these developmental hiccups can have on a child’s skill development and subsequently their confidence or serve as an indicator of a possible future diagnosis.
Developmental milestone checklists or charts are used as a guide as to what is ‘normal’ for a particular age range and can be used to highlight any areas in which a child might be delayed. However, it is important to be aware that while child development has a predictable sequence, all children are unique in their developmental journey and the times frames that they meet the many developmental milestones.
Problems in Child Development:
Problems in child development can arise due to: genetics, prenatal circumstances, the presence of a specific diagnosis or medical factors, and/or the lack of opportunity or exposure to helpful stimuli. Specific assessment by the best fit professional (which may initially be the GP or Paediatrician, and then Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist, Psychologist and/or Physiotherapist) can provide clarity about the developmental issues and extent of concern as well as can help to formulate a plan to overcome the challenge(s). As the process of child development involves multiple skills developing simultaneously, there may then be benefit in consulting multiple professionals.
Overcoming the developmental challenges is crucial to maximizing the ease and speed of development, minimizing the gap that occur between a child’s ability and those of their same aged peers, the confidence of the child as well as the frustration that can be encountered by the child’s parents and/or caregivers.
According to the Gazette Notice no. 1123 of 2021, the portfolio functions of the Department of Child Development are:
The guiding policy and regulations for this mandate is:
OVERVIEW OF THE CHILD PROTECTION SECTION
Child Protection Section: responsible for facilitating the rehabilitation and reintegration of children in the community; enforcement of various legislation pertaining to children, prevention and responding to Violence against Children and mobilisation of resources for child care service providers.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CHILD PROTECTION SECTION
Child Protection Section: responsible for:
SUB PROGRAMME:
CHILD WELFARE
OBJECTIVE: coordinate and strengthen multisector programmes for removal, rehabilitation and reintegration of children on the street
Identification & Removal, Assessment & Rehabilitation and Exit Plan & Reintegration of Street Children:
The implementation of this programme has three distinct processes:
Current Status – developed a draft National Outreach Manual to inform outreach programmes for both State and Non-State Actors and to be used in building capacities for child development officers, outreach educators and care givers to mention some. There us need for more effective child assessment centres to help determine the needs of the child in order to appropriately rehabilitate and reintegrate the children
6-15 years – this programme involves working with stakeholders to facilitate placing the children in schools, including boarding primary school while home tracing and home assessment is being done for reintegration back into the family
15-25years – provide skills development through the MOU with ZNS skills training camps. The provisions for training including personal effects for the trainees, clothing and beddings as well as providing teaching and learning materials. It also includes transporting the trainees to the camps and back as well as providing for start-up kits and stipend after they graduate.
MAIN ACTIVITIES:
OVERVIEW OF THE CHILD RIGHTS INSPECTION AND STANDARDS SECTION
OVERALL OBJECTIVE: enforce child protection rights in order to safeguard and uphold children’s rights and wellbeing and ensure compliance and adherence in the implementation child rights.
Child Rights Regulations and Standards Section
Child Rights Regulations and Standards is important to enable training of care givers so as to provide them with understanding of what is expected of them so as to meet the acceptable level and allow for sanctions should they fail to follow the regulations and meet the standards. Additionally, the meeting of the expected standards entails that no child will have sub-standard life patterns and ensure they all grow in similar environments to their full potential and to the best they would want to be.
Child Rights Regulations refers to the system of rules provided to allow regulating targeted actions targeted at promoting, upholding the life and wellbeing of all children based on the principle of Best Interest of the child and the principle of Non-Discrimination. This principle reflects the desired outcomes of the implementation of policy strategies and measures in child development and child welfare. In this case it refers to how the institution/individuals providing nurturing, care and development services to children are managed. It also helps ensure children in the institution live at minimum acceptable standards.
Child Rights Standards are defined as statements of what is expected in promoting and upholding child rights and in providing child care, protection and welfare services. Standards are what is used as a guide for service delivery and a basis for training and supervision of service providers. The format for OVC care standards provides a balance of structure and flexibility that addresses the concerns of standards. The format links desired outcomes and measurable goals to essential actions that define the service-standards provide flexibility, while assuring that consistency across programs is achieved.
MAIN PROGRAMMES:
Information, Education and Communication Section: responsible for:
Child Participation:
OBJECTIVE: facilitate the meaningful participation of children in child development in order to promote and enhance child participation in decision making
MAIN ACTIVITIES:
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services
Private Bag W252
Community House, Sadzu Road
Lusaka, Zambia
Tel: +260 211 225 327
Fax: +260 211 235342
Email: info@mcdss.gov.zm
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