2 research outputs found
The Development of a Screening Tool for Childcare Professionals to Detect and Refer Infant and Toddler Maltreatment and Trauma: A Tale of Four Countries
Abstract: Child maltreatment is considered a pressing social question, compromising the present
and future mental and physical health of one in four children in Europe. While children younger
than three years of age are especially vulnerable, few screening instruments are available for the
detection of risk in this age group. The purpose of this research was to develop a screening tool
for childcare professionals working in public and private daycare settings to support them in the
early identification and referral of infants and toddlers exposed to emotional and physical abuse
and neglect by primary caregivers, to be used in different settings across four European countries:
Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Hungary. Method: A stratified process was used to create the screening
tool: We started by using Living lab methodology to co-create the screening tool with its final users,
which was followed by testing the tool with a total of 120 childcare professionals from the four
participating countries. Results: During the Living Lab phase, a screening tool with three layers
was developed. The initial layer includes five “red flags” that signal particular concern and require
immediate action. The second layer is a quick screener with twelve items focused on four areas:
neglect of basic needs, delays in development, unusual behaviors, and interaction with caregivers.
The third layer is an in-depth questionnaire that aids in formalizing a thorough observation of
twenty-five items within the same four areas as the quick screener. After a one-day training session,
120 childcare professionals caring for children aged 0–3 from four countries assessed the screening
tool and their overall training experience. Childcare professionals reported great satisfaction with
the three-layered structure, which made the tool versatile, and agreed on its content, which was
considered helpful in the daycare setting for the regular evaluation of the behavior of children and
their primary caregivers, thus improving the early observation of change from the normal behavior of
the infant or toddler. Conclusion: The three-layered screening tool was reported as feasible, practical,
and with great content validity by childcare professionals working in four European countries
Care When It Counts: Establishing Trauma-Sensitive Care as a Preventative Approach for 0–3-Year-Old Children Suffering from Trauma and Chronic Stress
Adverse childhood experiences are an important societal concern. Children aged 0–3 are particularly vulnerable to unpredictable chronic stress due to the critical period for brain development and attachment. Trauma-sensitive care is a preventative approach to reduce the burden of stressful experiences by committing to positive relationships. Professional caregivers are ideally placed to offer trauma-sensitive care; however, earlier research reveals that the tools they need to consciously apply trauma-sensitive care principles are missing. The current study organized living labs (co-creative research method) to present trauma-sensitive care as a preventative approach aimed at children aged 0–3. Two living labs were organized in Belgium and Hungary, where professional caregivers collaborated to create a protocol that offers guidelines on how to implement trauma-sensitive care. The resulting protocol included a theoretical foundation on trauma as well as a translation of these guidelines into practical recommendations. The protocol was evaluated by incorporating it into a training intervention delivered to 100 professional caregivers from childcare organizations across four European countries. The protocol received positive feedback from participants, with results indicating a self-reported increase in knowledge, attitude and practice of trauma-sensitive care principles. We conclude that this trauma-sensitive care protocol is a promising answer to the needs of professional caregivers working with children aged 0–3