Handout 4:
Phases of Child Development in Foster Children
Reducing Separation Trauma 3/23/06
Age
Caregiver’s Behavior
First few weeks
Responds to infant’s
needs/ signals..
Child’s Behavior
If moved During
Stage:
Cries when in need, stops Usually no adjustment
when satiated.
problems.
Later Consequences if
Stage does not go well
Difficulty distinguishing
internal from external and
self-soothing.
Poor personal hygiene and
bladder/bowel control.
Over/under response to
injury
2 - 5 months
If child shows selfsoothing, participate with
child to associate you
with satiation.
Cuddling, cooing.
Stares at faces.
Eye contact, smiles,
coos.
Usually no
adjustment
problems.
Child exhibits an inability to
experience a satiated state,
which is required for bonding
and trust to develop
Returns to look at parent
if distracted.
Eye contact.
5 - 12 months
12 –
18 months
Maintain child’s routine
Peek-a-boo
Encourages toddler’s
emerging independence
and exploratory
behaviors.
If attached, child will
move away and check
back.
< 6 months: usually Rocking, frantic sucking, and
no adjustment
other self-soothing
Initiate positive
Stranger & separation
problems. May be
behaviors.
interactions: play games
anxiety (8 months).
some temporary
Pseudo-independence.
Hold & feed in “nursing” Checks with parent when regression or delay.
position; long gazing.
strangers present.
Lack of consistent identity.
> 6 months and with
stranger/separation
Grandiosity
anxiety: Grief reaction
inhibits attachment to
new caregivers.
Exhibits joy at
accomplishments.
May not attach to new Lack of joy in exploration and
caregivers.
learning
May regress to earlier
phase.
Low tolerance for frustration
& aggressive behaviors.
Use of transitional
objects.
18 - 36 months
Responds to child’s
needs without overreaction to
wooing/coercion.
Encourages independent
accomplishments.
Wooing & coercion,
shadowing & darting.
Increased range of
emotions.
Increased use of
language and symbolic
play.
Increased ability to
tolerate frustration and
Continued stranger and
separation anxiety.
Significant Difficulty
developing new
attachments.
Difficulty in school.
Increased clingy
behavior.
Continued wooing, coercing,
and clinging. (differential
diagnostic behavior ADHD v.
RAD).
Mistrust results in use of
defenses: aggressiveness,
Increased aggression hyperactivity, withdrawal.
Basic mistrust.
Reducing Separation Trauma. 3/23/06. Kathleen Brundage, University at Buffalo. kw36@buffalo.edu
© 2005- 2006 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation
delay gratification.
Age
Caregiver’s Behavior
Child’s Behavior
Preschool
Bonding & attachment
behaviors can help with
the transition (wooing,
cuddling, holding, gazing,
feeding).
Magical thinking.
Elementary
School
Adolescence
If moved
During Stage:
Later Consequences if
Stage does not go well
Belief that child
Difficulty/inability to play.
caused the move by
Learning problems in school.
being bad.
Shame based identity and
Regressive behaviors.
magical thinking.
Pervasive sense of
guilt and shame.
Identify current and past Development of concrete Except in the case of
Social skills deficits.
positive relationships.
operational thinking.
parental death,
Poor peer relationships.
separation is usually
Support child’s
Empathy develops.
caused by neglect or
Acting out during
achievements.
abuse.
Peers become more
adolescence.
Build on logical skills and
important.
Multiple foster home
Somatization.
use these to help child
Adaptive Grief Reaction placements can cause
cognitively understand
Dysthmia and depression.
difficulties with:
experienced by most
past and present.
children.
Eating disorders.
* Trust
* Identity formation
* Sense of selfvalue
* Safety of
relationships and
reliability of
people
* Anxiety and
hyperactivity
* Depression
* Somatic
symptoms
Creating a holding
environment.
Developing an
independent sense of
identity.
Very difficult since the
Anti-social behaviors.
task of this phase is to
Poor relationships.
separate from
Facilitating independence
parents.
Difficulty finding and keeping
& responsibility.
Separation &
employment.
individuation issues.
Watch for usual signs
Friend, coach, and
of teen problems:
Depression.
mentor.
Development of abstract
drug use, physical
thinking (formal
abuse, self-mutilation,
operations).
delinquency, truancy,
poor choice of peers,
suicidal ideation,
depression, etc.
Reducing Separation Trauma. 3/23/06. Kathleen Brundage, University at Buffalo. kw36@buffalo.edu
© 2005- 2006 CDHS College Relations Group Buffalo State College/SUNY at Buffalo Research Foundation