Child Centered Education

Principles for child centred practice

SUMMARY
PRINCIPLES FOR CHILD CENTRED PRACTICE TIMELY, DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE, PARTICIPATORY AND COLLABORATIVE This document provides a set of principles, which can be used to evaluate the ‘child centredness’ of policies and procedures in child protection. In the absence of a distinct body of knowledge about the meaning of ‘child centred’ practice it draws together relevant theory and research to help formulate these principles. A review of the literature identifies four themes, which are relevant to child centred practice. These themes, or messages from the literature, emphasise the importance of: • recognising critical time frames in childhood and adolescence including assisting children and young people as early as possible – early in the life of the child and early in the life of the problem; • • taking into account the developmental needs of children and young people in all interventions; providing children and young people with appropriate opportunities to participate in all aspects of child protection interventions which affect them; and • promoting a collaborative approach to the care and protection of children, including the strengthening of networks that are critical to their wellbeing. The body of this document addresses the context and rationale for a child centred approach to practice and the literature, which supports the development of principles to guide policy and practice. The following is a summary of the principles.

Institute of Child Protection Studies

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Principles for child centred practice

Critical time frames Principle 1 Special attention should be given at every opportunity to link very young children and their families with services and supports to strengthen children’s physical, cognitive and social functioning Principle 2 Every effort should be made to assist and support children and young people as early as possible in the emergence of problems by linking them with services to...