MCH Library Knowledge Path: Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents

Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents
Knowledge Path

Knowledge Path Table of Contents

Introduction

Overview

Resources for Professionals

General Resources
Infants and Young Children
School-Age Children
Adolescents
Databases

Resources for Families

Resources for Schools

Related MCH Library Resources

Please provide feedback on this knowledge path.

Introduction

This knowledge path directs readers to a selection of current, high-quality resources about promoting healthy social and emotional development in children and adolescents. Resources tap into the health, education, and social services literature. Separate sections present resources by age group and cover topics such as developmental stages; factors that impact social and emotional development; policies and programs to promote social and emotional well-being in homes and community settings; and strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services. This knowledge path is aimed at health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and community advocates. Separate briefs present resources for families and schools. This knowledge path has been developed by the MCH Library at Georgetown University and will be updated periodically.

Overview

See the Bright Futures materials, What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006). This set of four tools in English and Spanish aims to help professionals and families begin important conversations together on how best to support the social and emotional development of infants, children, and adolescents.

Resources for Professionals

General Resources

Websites

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Policy statements, guidelines, schedules, health-education materials, and other resources for health professionals about healthy development in children and adolescents. Tools and initiatives include

Bright Futures. Practice guides, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, implementation materials, and family resources for this national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children's health needs in the context of family and community. Promoting child development is a key theme. Materials include
- Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed. (2007).
- Performing Preventive Services: A Bright Futures Handbook. (2010).
dbpeds.org. Resources for health professionals about child development and behavior, especially in the medical setting. Includes forms, checklists, and other screening tools; online tutorials; and articles to support improvement in developmental and behavioral screening, surveillance, and identification of disabilities.

Also see the Healthy Child Care America Resource Library.
Bright Futures at Georgetown University. Guidelines, distance-education resources, and training tools for a practical developmental approach to providing health supervision for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. Topics include general health and development, mental health, nutrition, oral health, and physical activity. Some materials are available in Spanish. Bright Futures is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).

Also see What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development. Background information, screening tools, and recommendations for developmental screening. Includes information about and resources to support the role of primary care health professionals in children's developmental health.

Also see CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early, Legacy for Children, and Healthy Youth!.
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Webinars, issue briefs, reports, articles, and research news about the well-being of children and adolescents, particularly the most vulnerable, with the goal of helping policymakers and health, education, and social services professionals create policies and programs that will help children and adolescents develop into healthy, educated, and productive adults. Research areas are child welfare and foster care systems, community change, early childhood initiatives, economic supports for families, home visitation and maltreatment prevention, schools, work force development, adolescent crime and justice, and adolescent development and after-school initiatives. Chapin Hall is an independent policy research center.
Child Trends. Research briefs, fact sheets, and other publications for health and social services professionals and policymakers on topics that include early childhood, positive development, school readiness, and adolescent development. Includes a series of briefs on evaluation methods and measuring program outcomes for adolescent development, child welfare, early childhood, education, adolescent pregnancy prevention, parenting, and fatherhood programs. Child Trends presents research and data using a holistic, ecological, and developmental framework to monitor the well-being of children to inform decision-making that affects families. Recent publications include

What Works for Acting-Out (Externalizing) Behavior: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet].

What Works for Promoting and Enhancing Positive Social Skills: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet].

Also see the Child Trends DataBank and Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully (LINKS).
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): Child Development and Behavior Branch. Research and grant information, publications, and other resources for health professionals, educators, and researchers about psychological, psychobiological, and educational development from conception through adolescence.
Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Program, conference, and training information; publications; and other resources to improve quality of life for all children and adolescents, especially those with special health care needs and those at risk for poor outcomes. Promoting early childhood development and school readiness; building culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems; and enhancing partnerships between primary health care and mental health practices to identify children at risk for poor outcomes are among the issues addressed. GUCCHD is a division of Georgetown University's Department of Pediatrics. Recent resources include

Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children. (2009). [Practice brief].

Also see the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC).
Healthy People 2020. Information about this national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives, and recommended interventions and resources for early and middle childhood, adolescent health, and the social determinants of health.
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Information about MCHB's projects and initiatives on behalf of America's women, infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Resources and initiatives include

Child Health USA. This annual report presents graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends on the health status and service needs of infants, children, and adolescents.

Court-Involved Children. (2009). [Webcast].

Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook].

Maternal and Child Health Training Program. Information about and resources to support university-based centers funded to train the next generation of leaders in maternal and child health (MCH) with an emphasis on interdisciplinary, family-centered, culturally competent care with a population-focused, public health approach. Disciplines include developmental-behavioral pediatrics and adolescent health.

Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook].

Social Determinants of MCH: Data, Policy Implications, and Opportunities. (2010). [Webinar].

Also see the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative, the MCH Library, and the Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS).
MDRC: Families and Children. Program information and reports about how the life chances of children and adolescents from families with low incomes are influenced by policies that affect their families' economic circumstances, family relationships, or the opportunities available for child and adolescent development in settings such as child care, preschool, and after-school programs.
Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families, and Communities. Information about programs and practices that research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, adolescents, and families on topics that include healthy and safe children, school readiness and success, and strong families. Also contains resources for strengthening service delivery. PPN is operated by the RAND Corporation.
Urban Institute (UI): Children and Youth. Research and analysis about issues affecting the well-being of children and adolescents, including child care and child development, child health, child welfare, juvenile justice, economic well-being, and neighborhoods and adolescents. UI is a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization.

Additional Electronic Resources

California Endowment. 2010. Healthy Communities Matter: The Importance of Place to the Health of Boys of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report].
Children's Defense Fund (CDF). 2010. The State of America's Children 2010. Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund (CDF). [Data report].
Land KC. 2010. Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI). New York, NY: Foundation for Child Development. [Data report].
Olson S, ed. 2011. Toward an Integrated Science of Research on Families: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP).
Rich J, Corbin T, Bloom S, Rich L, Evans S, and Wilson A. 2009. Healing the Hurt: Trauma-Informed Approaches to the Health of Boys and Young Men of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report].
Wizeman TM, Anderson KM, eds. 2009. Focusing on Children's Health: Community Approaches to Addressing Health Disparities—Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP). [Report].
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2008. Children and Electronic Media. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 18, no. 1; Spring 2008). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries].
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2010. Fragile Families. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 2; fall 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries].

Infants and Young Children

This section presents resources that address scientific research about early child development; early childhood social, emotional, and communication milestones; developmental screening; early literacy and school readiness; strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services for young children and families; and state policy approaches for promoting early childhood care and education.

Websites

Brazelton Touchpoints Center®. Information about training workshops for professionals that serve children from birth to age 3 in health, education, child care, and social services settings to help them build strong family-child relationships and optimize children's development.
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC). Online tutorials, webinars, teaching tools, and guides to finding screening tools, curricula, and programs about healthy mental development for Head Start administrators, staff, training and technical assistance providers, mental health consultants, and families. Includes evidence-based strategies to promote mental wellness in the classroom, ideas for promoting social and emotional development in the classroom and at home, and audio clips of relaxation exercises in English and Spanish to promote staff wellness. CECMHC was created through a grant from the Office of Head Start (OHS) and is part of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Recent resources include
Center on the Developing Child. Reports, working papers, research briefs, and video clips that translate and communicate the science of early childhood and early brain development to help inform policies that promote successful learning, adaptive behavior, and sound physical and mental health for all young children. Initiatives include the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (NSCDC), a multidisciplinary collaboration of leading scholars in neuroscience, early child development, pediatrics, and economics from universities across the United States and Canada, and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, which complements the Council’s work by explaining why public investments should be made in the early childhood years. The Center is part of Harvard University. Resources include

Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development. (2010). [Working paper].

Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. (2010). [Paper, Summary, Brief].

How Early Experiences Get into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework. (2010). [Flip chart].

Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development. (2009). [Brief].

Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do (2007). [Working paper].
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). Training modules, research briefs, video clips, and practical strategies for teachers and child care professionals for promoting children's social and emotional development. With funding from the Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, CSEFEL aims to strengthen the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to promote social and emotional outcomes and enhance school readiness for children from birth to age 5 from families with low incomes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development.

Learn the Signs. Act Early. Materials in English and Spanish for health professionals, early childhood educators, and parents about child development and the warning signs of autism and other developmental delays. Includes fact sheets, a video clip, and a tracking tool on developmental milestones for infants and children from birth to age 5.

Legacy for Children. Information about this set of studies examining the potential for improving child developmental outcomes through parenting programs designed to promote self-efficacy and a sense of community.
Commonwealth Fund. Program information and an extensive collection of reports about child health and development. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation working to improve health coverage and quality. Recent publications include

Healthy Steps at 15: The Past and Future of an Innovative Preventive Care Model for Children. (2010). [Report].

International Comparison of Early Childhood Initiatives: From Services to Systems. (2009). [Issue brief].

Also see the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).
Department of Education (ED): Early Learning Initiative. Information about ED's investments in early learning programs, resources and publications, technical assistance, and interagency work.
Developmental Screening Toolkit for Primary Care Providers. Information for primary care health professionals who want to learn how to implement effective, validated, developmental screening in their practices. Addresses the issues of time, resources, and budget, and includes a video clip of health professionals at Children's Hospital Boston who describe their experiences with implementing a screening program.
Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative. Information about this grant program to assist states and communities in their efforts to build and integrate early childhood service systems that address the critical components of access to comprehensive health services and medical homes; social and emotional development and mental health of young children; early care and education; parenting education; and family support. Includes links to ECCS state plans and logic models and resources to support each ECCS component area. EECS is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
Healthy Child Care America: Resource Library. Information about materials for health professionals and child care providers on early education and child care. Under Topic, select Social & Emotional Health and click on Submit. Healthy Child Care America is administered by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP): Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Resource Center. Program information to help states improve the delivery of early child development services for children with low incomes and their families. Includes resources for health and social services professionals to promote early childhood health and development. ABCD is funded by the Commonwealth Fund. Resources include

Engaging Parents as Partners to Support Early Child Health and Development. (2010). [Issue brief].
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Teaching materials, online tutorials, position statements, and other resources for early childhood professionals and families about child development, school readiness, and social and emotional learning. Includes information about its accreditation programs.
National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Program information and publications about NCCP's early childhood public policy and education initiatives on topics that include healthy development and early care and learning. Includes data tools and state early childhood policy profiles. Located at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP works to identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty and improve the lives of children and families with low incomes in the United States. Recent publications include

Improving Supports for Parents of Young Children: State-Level Initiatives. (2010). [Report].

Key Readings on Children’s Development of Social Inclusion and Respect for Diversity. (2010). [Bibliography].

Promoting the Social-Emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs. (2010). [Report].

Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework. (2008). [Issue brief].

State-Level Indicators for Social-Emotional Development: Building Better Systems. (2011). [Report].
National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Policy briefs, fact sheets, reports, and working papers on early-education issues including child development, school readiness, and the benefits and costs of quality preschool education. Also offers an annual report on state preschool-education initiatives. Publications include

Investing in Young Children: New Directions in Federal Preschool and Early Childhood Policy. (2010). [Report].
Office of Head Start: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC). Information about Head Start, a national program that serves the development needs of infants and children from birth through age 5 and their families with low incomes through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services. In addition to policy, program, and training information for Head Start program staff, the site includes resources and information about early childhood development and health, including social and emotional development, family and community partnerships, and program design and management. View an online directory of Head Start programs. Also see the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC) at Zero to Three.
Ounce of Prevention Fund. Program and training information, advocacy tools, and reports to help foster the healthy development of children from birth through age 5 and their families with low incomes. The Ounce serves children and families in its birth-to-5 programs in Chicago, through a network of home visiting and doula programs in Illinois, and via partnerships with colleagues in 15 states to build research-based programs and advocate for increased public investment in the first years of life. Recent resources include

Learning Begins at Birth. (2010). [Research brief].

Parents Too Soon/Doula Annual Report. (2010). This report describes a home visiting program designed to maximize adolescent parents’ abilities to care for their children and to continue their own development.

Secure Attachment. (2008). [Research brief].
Parents as Teachers (PAT). Information about this parent-education and family-support program that serves families throughout pregnancy and until their child enters kindergarten. The program is designed to enhance child development and school readiness. Program services include home visits; child health, hearing, vision, and developmental screenings; parent group meetings; and a resource network that links families with needed community resources.
Project LAUNCH. Program information and resources to plan, implement, and evaluate this initiative aimed at improving the systems that serve young children and address their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral growth. Project LAUNCH is a grant program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention administers the LAUNCH website and provides technical assistance to LAUNCH grantees.
Reach Out and Read (ROR). Program information and materials for this national initiative to promote early literacy by making books and reading aloud part of pediatric primary care.
Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Policy briefs, reports, and briefings about child development. Includes updates about federal funding opportunities, legislation, and programs that impact developmental science.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Building Blocks for a Healthy Future. Preschool lesson plans, teaching tools, and parent-education materials about helping young children make healthy decisions.
Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI). Policy briefs, research syntheses, presentations, and training tools for early childhood professionals about evidence-based recommendations for improving social and emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities. TACSEI is funded by the Department of Education.
Zero to Three. A wealth of research-based resources for professionals, policymakers, and parents to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Select Promoting Social Emotional Development for tips, tools, and additional resources. See Early Care and Education for resources on topics such as school readiness. See Public Policy for resources about broader policy issues that impact social and emotional development in early childhood. Recent publications and initiatives include

Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives. Information about state policies and initiatives that impact infants and toddlers and their families. Search by category (e.g. Social and Emotional Health), state, or keyword.

Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC). Program information, technical assistance papers, tip sheets, online training, and an electronic newsletter to support Early Head Start (EHS) programs in their efforts to design and implement high-quality services for pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. Child development, infant mental health, early literacy, and social skills are addressed. Includes an EHS program locator. EHSNRC is funded by the Office of Head Start.

Early Language and Literacy Development. (2011). [Policy brief, Video clip].

Parenting Infants and Toddlers Today: Research Findings. (2009). A section of this report examines parents' perceptions of factors that influence young children's social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Putting the Pieces Together for Infants and Toddlers: Comprehensive, Coordinated Systems. (2009). [Policy brief].
Also see the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

Additional Electronic Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Public Health Association (APHA), and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. 2011. Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards—Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. This manual provides health and safety guidelines for planning and establishing a high-quality child care program. Panels of experts formulated these health and safety standards, which were then reviewed nationally for content and feasibility. Social and emotional development are addressed.
Bruner C. 2009. Connecting Child Health and School Readiness. Denver, CO: Colorado Trust. [Issue brief].
Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy and Oldham Innovative Research. 2009. Children at Risk in the Child Welfare System: Collaborations to Promote School Readiness—Final Report. Portland, ME: Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy. [Report].
Connecticut Birth to Three System. 2010. Early Intervention Home Visits. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Birth to Three System. [Video clip, Spanish version].
Demma R. 2010. Building Ready States: A Governor's Guide to Supporting a Comprehensive, High-Quality Early Childhood State Systems. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Report].
Dworkin P, Honigfeld L, Meyers J. 2009. Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting Healthy Child Development and School Readiness of Connecticut's Children. Farmington, CT: Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. [Report].
Shonkoff J, Phillips D, eds. 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report].
Szekely A. 2011. Maximizing the Impact of State Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Issue brief, webinar].
See the Child Trends report, Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) (2009), and the research briefs, Early Childhood Predictors of Early School Success: A Selective Review of the Literature (2009), Early Head Start: Research Findings (2010), and Review of School Readiness Practices in the States: Early Learning Guidelines and Assessments (2010).
See the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) report, Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2010).
See the MDRC video clip, Investing in the Emotional and Behavioral Development of Preschoolers (2010), and the report, Making Preschool More Productive: How Classroom Management Training Can Help Teachers (2009).
See the Urban Institute policy brief, Using Data to Promote Collaboration in Local School Readiness Systems (2010).

School-Age Children

This section presents resources about promoting the social and emotional development of school-age children and includes resources that address social and emotional learning as part of school and after-school programs. Several resources are applicable to adolescents, as well.

Websites

Afterschool.gov. Resources about how to finance, operate, and sustain an after-school program; program activity ideas for children and adolescents; websites and reports about the after-school field; and information about youth development programs that can inform after school programming.
Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Information about and materials to support evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education, from preschool through high school. Presents research demonstrating the positive impacts of social and emotional practices on students' academic achievement, on reducing high-risk behaviors, and on promoting positive adolescent development. Resources include issue briefs, reports, program guides, PowerPoint presentations, and tools for working with families.
Harvard Family Research Project. Research information and publications to promote the well-being of children, adolescents, families, and their communities by supporting children’s learning and development. Research areas include complementary learning, family involvement, and out-of-school time. Recent publications include

Engaging Older Youth: Program and City-Level Strategies to Support Sustained Participation in Out-of-School Time. (2010). [Report].

Family Engagement as a Systemic, Sustained, and Integrated Strategy to Promote Student Achievement. (2010). [Paper].
National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. Program information, webinars, research briefs, evidence-based intervention fact sheets, and other resources. The center provides technical assistance and training to school districts and communities as they plan, implement, and sustain federally funded initiatives to foster resilience, promote mental health, and prevent adolescent violence and mental health and behavioral challenges. Resources and initiatives include

Connecting Social and Emotional Learning with Mental Health. (2008). [Issue brief].

Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention. (2009). [Issue brief].

Also see Project LAUNCH.
Several resources in the Adolescents section are applicable to school-age children.

Additional Electronic Resources

Berliner DC. 2009. Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success. Tempe, AZ: Education Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University; Boulder, CO: Education and the Public Interest Center, University of Colorado [Issue brief].
Bridgman A. 2010. Making Schools Safe for Sexual-Minority and All Students. Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). [Policy brief].
Leibbrand JA, Watson BH. 2010. The Road Less Traveled: How the Developmental Sciences Can Prepare Educators to Improve Student Achievement. Policy Recommendations. Washington, DC: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). [Report].
Also view the Chapin Hall webinar, School's Out: Policy Implications of Quality Accountability and Assessment in Afterschool Programs (2010).
Also see the Child Trends reports, How Out-of-School Time Program Quality Is Related to Adolescent Outcomes (2010) and Programs for Children and Youth in a Community Context (2009), and the fact sheet, What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009).

Adolescents

This section presents resources that address scientific research about adolescent development; interdisciplinary models of physical and behavioral health care for adolescents; and approaches for developing, supporting, and sustaining youth development programs. Several resources are applicable to school-age children, as well.

Websites

Building Partnerships for Youth. A framework that describes the 21 essential elements of child and adolescent development, strategies for promoting positive child and adolescent development, a database of evaluated child and adolescent development programs, a program assessment tool, and training tools, fact sheets, and other resources. Building Partnerships for Youth is a partnership between the National 4-H Council and the University of Arizona.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Healthy Youth! Adolescent Health. Information about societal influences on adolescents and the critical types of adolescent health behavior that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among adolescents and adults in the United States. Publications include science-based strategies to improve adolescent health and well-being and

School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. (2009). [Guide, fact sheets].

Guide to Community Preventive Services: Adolescent Health. Recommendations for population-based interventions that focus on adolescent alcohol and drug use, violence, and sexual behaviors.

Also see the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).
Finance Project: Information Resource Center. Access to a wealth of information on policies, programs, and financing strategies for initiatives striving to improve the lives of children, families and communities. Resources focus on promising practices, guides to federal funding, out-of-school time, supporting and sustaining adolescent programs, and adolescents who are transitioning out of foster care. The Finance Project is a nonprofit firm that helps leaders make smart investment decisions, develop sound financing strategies, and build solid partnerships that benefit children, families, and communities.
FindYouthInfo.gov. Program and funding information and resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement, and participate in effective programs for children and adolescents. Topics include positive child and adolescent development, bullying, after-school programs, and transition-age adolescents. FindYouthInfo.gov was created by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, which is composed of representatives from 12 federal agencies that support programs and services focusing on children and adolescents. See the FindYouthInfo.gov directory of evidence-based programs.
Forum for Youth Investment. Issue briefs, webinars, articles, and news about efforts to improve education, out-of-school time, adolescent development, and policy and planning to ensure that adolescents have the supports, opportunities, and services needed to prosper and contribute where they live, learn, work, and play. The forum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all adolescents are ready for college, work, and life. Initiatives include

Ready by 21. A framework for child and adolescent-focused planning and decision-making and tools to help change makers—from parents to program directors to policy makers—optimize resources and streamline strategies to improve outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents.
National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center (NAHIC). Fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, and other materials about adolescent health on topics that include positive adolescent development, particularly for adolescent males. NAHIC is based at the University of California, San Francisco.
National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health. Fact sheets, issue briefs, reports, and journal article citations about health care topics important to adolescents, such as health insurance and access to care; development of adolescent-friendly, interdisciplinary models of care; and assurance of confidential care. The alliance provides education, research, policy analysis, and technical assistance to support improvements in the way that adolescent health care is structured and financed.

Concern for Our Teens: Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Adolescent Health. (2010). [Report].
National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY): Positive Youth Development. Program development and funding information, publications, an online training module, news, and podcasts about positive adolescent development. NCFY is funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).

Also see the NCFY Literature Database.
Note: Several resources in the School-Age Children section are applicable to adolescents.

Additional Electronic Resources

Arbreton A, Bradshaw M, Sheldon J, Pepper S. 2009. Making Everyday Count: Boys and Girls Clubs' Role in Promoting Positive Outcomes for Teens. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures; Atlanta, GA: Boy's and Girls Clubs of America. [Report, executive summary].
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). 2010. Making the Case—A Comprehensive Systems Approach for Adolescent Health and Well-Being. Washington, DC: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). [White paper].
Cunha F, Heckman JJ. 2010. Investing in Our Young People. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). [Working paper].
Diaz A, Bilchik S, Kreipe R, Brown J, English A. 2010. Creating Healthy Opportunities: Conversations with Adolescent Health Experts. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation. [Paper].
Healthy Teen Network. 2009. A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success Among Young Families. Baltimore, MD: Healthy Teen Network. [Report].
Hirschhorn Donahue E, Haskins R, Nightingale M. 2008. Using the Media to Promote Adolescent Well-Being. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. This policy brief is a companion piece to the Future of Children issue, Children and Electronic Media.
Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2010. Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Lawrence, RS, Gootman JA, Sim LJ, eds. 2009. Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report].
Maestas N, Gaillot S. 2010. An Outcome Evaluation of the Success for Kids Program. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. [Report, executive summary].
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2009. America's High Schools. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 19, no. 1; spring 2009). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries].
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2010. Transition to Adulthood. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 1; spring 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries].
Also see the Child Trends research briefs, Adolescents and Electronic Media: Growing Up Plugged In (2009), Developmental Perspective on College and Workplace Readiness (2009), Developmental Perspective on Workplace Readiness: Preparing High School Students for Success (2009), and Exploring the Links Between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes (2009), and the fact sheet, What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009).

Databases

See the following set of MCH Library resource briefs to identify additional data and statistics, literature and research, and programs about social and emotional development in children and adolescents.

Resources for Families

See the MCH Library family resource brief Social and Emotional Development in Kids and Teens.

Resources for Schools

See the MCH Library school resource brief Social and Emotional Development.

Related MCH Library Resources

Bullying resource brief
Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path
Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
Home Visiting resource brief
Life Course and Social Determinants resource brief
Screening resource brief
Sleep in Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief

Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents: Knowledge Path, 2nd ed. (May 2011). (Updated: February 2012).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewers: Lauren Agoratus, M.A., Family Voices and Family-to-Family Health Information Resource Center at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of N.J.; Robin L. Harwood, Ph.D., Maternal and Child Health Bureau; Keri Linas, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library; Judi Siegel, L.I.C.S.W., Children's Hospital Boston.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.

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Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents
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Introduction This knowledge path directs readers to a selection of current, high-quality resources about promoting healthy social and emotional development in children and adolescents. Resources tap into the health, education, and social services literature. Separate sections present resources by age group and cover topics such as developmental stages; factors that impact social and emotional development; policies and programs to promote social and emotional well-being in homes and community settings; and strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services. This knowledge path is aimed at health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and community advocates. Separate briefs present resources for families and schools. This knowledge path has been developed by the MCH Library at Georgetown University and will be updated periodically. Overview See the Bright Futures materials, What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006). This set of four tools in English and Spanish aims to help professionals and families begin important conversations together on how best to support the social and emotional development of infants, children, and adolescents. Resources for Professionals General Resources Websites American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Policy statements, guidelines, schedules, health-education materials, and other resources for health professionals about healthy development in children and adolescents. Tools and initiatives include Bright Futures. Practice guides, PowerPoint presentations, handouts, implementation materials, and family resources for this national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that addresses children's health needs in the context of family and community. Promoting child development is a key theme. Materials include Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents, 3rd ed. (2007). Performing Preventive Services: A Bright Futures Handbook. (2010). dbpeds.org. Resources for health professionals about child development and behavior, especially in the medical setting. Includes forms, checklists, and other screening tools; online tutorials; and articles to support improvement in developmental and behavioral screening, surveillance, and identification of disabilities. Also see the Healthy Child Care America Resource Library. Bright Futures at Georgetown University. Guidelines, distance-education resources, and training tools for a practical developmental approach to providing health supervision for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. Topics include general health and development, mental health, nutrition, oral health, and physical activity. Some materials are available in Spanish. Bright Futures is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Also see What to Expect and When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers (2006). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development. Background information, screening tools, and recommendations for developmental screening. Includes information about and resources to support the role of primary care health professionals in children's developmental health. Also see CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early, Legacy for Children, and Healthy Youth!. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Webinars, issue briefs, reports, articles, and research news about the well-being of children and adolescents, particularly the most vulnerable, with the goal of helping policymakers and health, education, and social services professionals create policies and programs that will help children and adolescents develop into healthy, educated, and productive adults. Research areas are child welfare and foster care systems, community change, early childhood initiatives, economic supports for families, home visitation and maltreatment prevention, schools, work force development, adolescent crime and justice, and adolescent development and after-school initiatives. Chapin Hall is an independent policy research center. Child Trends. Research briefs, fact sheets, and other publications for health and social services professionals and policymakers on topics that include early childhood, positive development, school readiness, and adolescent development. Includes a series of briefs on evaluation methods and measuring program outcomes for adolescent development, child welfare, early childhood, education, adolescent pregnancy prevention, parenting, and fatherhood programs. Child Trends presents research and data using a holistic, ecological, and developmental framework to monitor the well-being of children to inform decision-making that affects families. Recent publications include What Works for Acting-Out (Externalizing) Behavior: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet]. What Works for Promoting and Enhancing Positive Social Skills: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions. (2011). [Fact sheet]. Also see the Child Trends DataBank and Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully (LINKS). Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): Child Development and Behavior Branch. Research and grant information, publications, and other resources for health professionals, educators, and researchers about psychological, psychobiological, and educational development from conception through adolescence. Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Program, conference, and training information; publications; and other resources to improve quality of life for all children and adolescents, especially those with special health care needs and those at risk for poor outcomes. Promoting early childhood development and school readiness; building culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems; and enhancing partnerships between primary health care and mental health practices to identify children at risk for poor outcomes are among the issues addressed. GUCCHD is a division of Georgetown University's Department of Pediatrics. Recent resources include Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children. (2009). [Practice brief]. Also see the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC). Healthy People 2020. Information about this national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative of the Department of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives, and recommended interventions and resources for early and middle childhood, adolescent health, and the social determinants of health. Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Information about MCHB's projects and initiatives on behalf of America's women, infants, children, adolescents, and their families. Resources and initiatives include Child Health USA. This annual report presents graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends on the health status and service needs of infants, children, and adolescents. Court-Involved Children. (2009). [Webcast]. Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook]. Maternal and Child Health Training Program. Information about and resources to support university-based centers funded to train the next generation of leaders in maternal and child health (MCH) with an emphasis on interdisciplinary, family-centered, culturally competent care with a population-focused, public health approach. Disciplines include developmental-behavioral pediatrics and adolescent health. Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007. (2010). [Chartbook]. Social Determinants of MCH: Data, Policy Implications, and Opportunities. (2010). [Webinar]. Also see the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative, the MCH Library, and the Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS). MDRC: Families and Children. Program information and reports about how the life chances of children and adolescents from families with low incomes are influenced by policies that affect their families' economic circumstances, family relationships, or the opportunities available for child and adolescent development in settings such as child care, preschool, and after-school programs. Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families, and Communities. Information about programs and practices that research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, adolescents, and families on topics that include healthy and safe children, school readiness and success, and strong families. Also contains resources for strengthening service delivery. PPN is operated by the RAND Corporation. Urban Institute (UI): Children and Youth. Research and analysis about issues affecting the well-being of children and adolescents, including child care and child development, child health, child welfare, juvenile justice, economic well-being, and neighborhoods and adolescents. UI is a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization. Additional Electronic Resources California Endowment. 2010. Healthy Communities Matter: The Importance of Place to the Health of Boys of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report]. Children's Defense Fund (CDF). 2010. The State of America's Children 2010. Washington, DC: Children's Defense Fund (CDF). [Data report]. Land KC. 2010. Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI). New York, NY: Foundation for Child Development. [Data report]. Olson S, ed. 2011. Toward an Integrated Science of Research on Families: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP). Rich J, Corbin T, Bloom S, Rich L, Evans S, and Wilson A. 2009. Healing the Hurt: Trauma-Informed Approaches to the Health of Boys and Young Men of Color. Los Angeles, CA: California Endowment. [Report]. Wizeman TM, Anderson KM, eds. 2009. Focusing on Children's Health: Community Approaches to Addressing Health Disparities—Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (NAP). [Report]. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2008. Children and Electronic Media. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 18, no. 1; Spring 2008). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries]. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2010. Fragile Families. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 2; fall 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries]. Infants and Young Children This section presents resources that address scientific research about early child development; early childhood social, emotional, and communication milestones; developmental screening; early literacy and school readiness; strategies for integrating health, developmental, and educational services for young children and families; and state policy approaches for promoting early childhood care and education. Websites Brazelton Touchpoints Center®. Information about training workshops for professionals that serve children from birth to age 3 in health, education, child care, and social services settings to help them build strong family-child relationships and optimize children's development. Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (CECMHC). Online tutorials, webinars, teaching tools, and guides to finding screening tools, curricula, and programs about healthy mental development for Head Start administrators, staff, training and technical assistance providers, mental health consultants, and families. Includes evidence-based strategies to promote mental wellness in the classroom, ideas for promoting social and emotional development in the classroom and at home, and audio clips of relaxation exercises in English and Spanish to promote staff wellness. CECMHC was created through a grant from the Office of Head Start (OHS) and is part of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD). Recent resources include Center on the Developing Child. Reports, working papers, research briefs, and video clips that translate and communicate the science of early childhood and early brain development to help inform policies that promote successful learning, adaptive behavior, and sound physical and mental health for all young children. Initiatives include the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child (NSCDC), a multidisciplinary collaboration of leading scholars in neuroscience, early child development, pediatrics, and economics from universities across the United States and Canada, and the National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs, which complements the Council’s work by explaining why public investments should be made in the early childhood years. The Center is part of Harvard University. Resources include Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development. (2010). [Working paper]. Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood. (2010). [Paper, Summary, Brief]. How Early Experiences Get into the Body: A Biodevelopmental Framework. (2010). [Flip chart]. Impact of Early Adversity on Children’s Development. (2009). [Brief]. Science of Early Childhood Development: Closing the Gap Between What We Know and What We Do (2007). [Working paper]. Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). Training modules, research briefs, video clips, and practical strategies for teachers and child care professionals for promoting children's social and emotional development. With funding from the Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, CSEFEL aims to strengthen the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to promote social and emotional outcomes and enhance school readiness for children from birth to age 5 from families with low incomes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Child Development. Learn the Signs. Act Early. Materials in English and Spanish for health professionals, early childhood educators, and parents about child development and the warning signs of autism and other developmental delays. Includes fact sheets, a video clip, and a tracking tool on developmental milestones for infants and children from birth to age 5. Legacy for Children. Information about this set of studies examining the potential for improving child developmental outcomes through parenting programs designed to promote self-efficacy and a sense of community. Commonwealth Fund. Program information and an extensive collection of reports about child health and development. The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation working to improve health coverage and quality. Recent publications include Healthy Steps at 15: The Past and Future of an Innovative Preventive Care Model for Children. (2010). [Report]. International Comparison of Early Childhood Initiatives: From Services to Systems. (2009). [Issue brief]. Also see the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP). Department of Education (ED): Early Learning Initiative. Information about ED's investments in early learning programs, resources and publications, technical assistance, and interagency work. Developmental Screening Toolkit for Primary Care Providers. Information for primary care health professionals who want to learn how to implement effective, validated, developmental screening in their practices. Addresses the issues of time, resources, and budget, and includes a video clip of health professionals at Children's Hospital Boston who describe their experiences with implementing a screening program. Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Initiative. Information about this grant program to assist states and communities in their efforts to build and integrate early childhood service systems that address the critical components of access to comprehensive health services and medical homes; social and emotional development and mental health of young children; early care and education; parenting education; and family support. Includes links to ECCS state plans and logic models and resources to support each ECCS component area. EECS is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). Healthy Child Care America: Resource Library. Information about materials for health professionals and child care providers on early education and child care. Under Topic, select Social & Emotional Health and click on Submit. Healthy Child Care America is administered by the American Academy of Pediatrics. National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP): Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) Resource Center. Program information to help states improve the delivery of early child development services for children with low incomes and their families. Includes resources for health and social services professionals to promote early childhood health and development. ABCD is funded by the Commonwealth Fund. Resources include Engaging Parents as Partners to Support Early Child Health and Development. (2010). [Issue brief]. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Teaching materials, online tutorials, position statements, and other resources for early childhood professionals and families about child development, school readiness, and social and emotional learning. Includes information about its accreditation programs. National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Program information and publications about NCCP's early childhood public policy and education initiatives on topics that include healthy development and early care and learning. Includes data tools and state early childhood policy profiles. Located at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, NCCP works to identify and promote strategies that prevent child poverty and improve the lives of children and families with low incomes in the United States. Recent publications include Improving Supports for Parents of Young Children: State-Level Initiatives. (2010). [Report]. Key Readings on Children’s Development of Social Inclusion and Respect for Diversity. (2010). [Bibliography]. Promoting the Social-Emotional Wellbeing of Infants and Toddlers in Early Intervention Programs. (2010). [Report]. Reducing Maternal Depression and Its Impact on Young Children: Toward a Responsive Early Childhood Policy Framework. (2008). [Issue brief]. State-Level Indicators for Social-Emotional Development: Building Better Systems. (2011). [Report]. National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Policy briefs, fact sheets, reports, and working papers on early-education issues including child development, school readiness, and the benefits and costs of quality preschool education. Also offers an annual report on state preschool-education initiatives. Publications include Investing in Young Children: New Directions in Federal Preschool and Early Childhood Policy. (2010). [Report]. Office of Head Start: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC). Information about Head Start, a national program that serves the development needs of infants and children from birth through age 5 and their families with low incomes through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social, and other services. In addition to policy, program, and training information for Head Start program staff, the site includes resources and information about early childhood development and health, including social and emotional development, family and community partnerships, and program design and management. View an online directory of Head Start programs. Also see the Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC) at Zero to Three. Ounce of Prevention Fund. Program and training information, advocacy tools, and reports to help foster the healthy development of children from birth through age 5 and their families with low incomes. The Ounce serves children and families in its birth-to-5 programs in Chicago, through a network of home visiting and doula programs in Illinois, and via partnerships with colleagues in 15 states to build research-based programs and advocate for increased public investment in the first years of life. Recent resources include Learning Begins at Birth. (2010). [Research brief]. Parents Too Soon/Doula Annual Report. (2010). This report describes a home visiting program designed to maximize adolescent parents’ abilities to care for their children and to continue their own development. Secure Attachment. (2008). [Research brief]. Parents as Teachers (PAT). Information about this parent-education and family-support program that serves families throughout pregnancy and until their child enters kindergarten. The program is designed to enhance child development and school readiness. Program services include home visits; child health, hearing, vision, and developmental screenings; parent group meetings; and a resource network that links families with needed community resources. Project LAUNCH. Program information and resources to plan, implement, and evaluate this initiative aimed at improving the systems that serve young children and address their physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral growth. Project LAUNCH is a grant program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention administers the LAUNCH website and provides technical assistance to LAUNCH grantees. Reach Out and Read (ROR). Program information and materials for this national initiative to promote early literacy by making books and reading aloud part of pediatric primary care. Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Policy briefs, reports, and briefings about child development. Includes updates about federal funding opportunities, legislation, and programs that impact developmental science. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Building Blocks for a Healthy Future. Preschool lesson plans, teaching tools, and parent-education materials about helping young children make healthy decisions. Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI). Policy briefs, research syntheses, presentations, and training tools for early childhood professionals about evidence-based recommendations for improving social and emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities. TACSEI is funded by the Department of Education. Zero to Three. A wealth of research-based resources for professionals, policymakers, and parents to promote the healthy development of infants and toddlers. Select Promoting Social Emotional Development for tips, tools, and additional resources. See Early Care and Education for resources on topics such as school readiness. See Public Policy for resources about broader policy issues that impact social and emotional development in early childhood. Recent publications and initiatives include Baby Matters: A Gateway to State Policies and Initiatives. Information about state policies and initiatives that impact infants and toddlers and their families. Search by category (e.g. Social and Emotional Health), state, or keyword. Early Head Start National Resource Center (EHSNRC). Program information, technical assistance papers, tip sheets, online training, and an electronic newsletter to support Early Head Start (EHS) programs in their efforts to design and implement high-quality services for pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. Child development, infant mental health, early literacy, and social skills are addressed. Includes an EHS program locator. EHSNRC is funded by the Office of Head Start. Early Language and Literacy Development. (2011). [Policy brief, Video clip]. Parenting Infants and Toddlers Today: Research Findings. (2009). A section of this report examines parents' perceptions of factors that influence young children's social, emotional, and cognitive development. Putting the Pieces Together for Infants and Toddlers: Comprehensive, Coordinated Systems. (2009). [Policy brief]. Also see the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Additional Electronic Resources American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Public Health Association (APHA), and National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care. 2011. Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standards—Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association. This manual provides health and safety guidelines for planning and establishing a high-quality child care program. Panels of experts formulated these health and safety standards, which were then reviewed nationally for content and feasibility. Social and emotional development are addressed. Bruner C. 2009. Connecting Child Health and School Readiness. Denver, CO: Colorado Trust. [Issue brief]. Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy and Oldham Innovative Research. 2009. Children at Risk in the Child Welfare System: Collaborations to Promote School Readiness—Final Report. Portland, ME: Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy. [Report]. Connecticut Birth to Three System. 2010. Early Intervention Home Visits. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Birth to Three System. [Video clip, Spanish version]. Demma R. 2010. Building Ready States: A Governor's Guide to Supporting a Comprehensive, High-Quality Early Childhood State Systems. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Report]. Dworkin P, Honigfeld L, Meyers J. 2009. Framework for Child Health Services: Supporting Healthy Child Development and School Readiness of Connecticut's Children. Farmington, CT: Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut. [Report]. Shonkoff J, Phillips D, eds. 2000. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report]. Szekely A. 2011. Maximizing the Impact of State Early Childhood Home Visitation Programs. Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. [Issue brief, webinar]. See the Child Trends report, Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) (2009), and the research briefs, Early Childhood Predictors of Early School Success: A Selective Review of the Literature (2009), Early Head Start: Research Findings (2010), and Review of School Readiness Practices in the States: Early Learning Guidelines and Assessments (2010). See the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) report, Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel (2010). See the MDRC video clip, Investing in the Emotional and Behavioral Development of Preschoolers (2010), and the report, Making Preschool More Productive: How Classroom Management Training Can Help Teachers (2009). See the Urban Institute policy brief, Using Data to Promote Collaboration in Local School Readiness Systems (2010). School-Age Children This section presents resources about promoting the social and emotional development of school-age children and includes resources that address social and emotional learning as part of school and after-school programs. Several resources are applicable to adolescents, as well. Websites Afterschool.gov. Resources about how to finance, operate, and sustain an after-school program; program activity ideas for children and adolescents; websites and reports about the after-school field; and information about youth development programs that can inform after school programming. Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Information about and materials to support evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education, from preschool through high school. Presents research demonstrating the positive impacts of social and emotional practices on students' academic achievement, on reducing high-risk behaviors, and on promoting positive adolescent development. Resources include issue briefs, reports, program guides, PowerPoint presentations, and tools for working with families. Harvard Family Research Project. Research information and publications to promote the well-being of children, adolescents, families, and their communities by supporting children’s learning and development. Research areas include complementary learning, family involvement, and out-of-school time. Recent publications include Engaging Older Youth: Program and City-Level Strategies to Support Sustained Participation in Out-of-School Time. (2010). [Report]. Family Engagement as a Systemic, Sustained, and Integrated Strategy to Promote Student Achievement. (2010). [Paper]. National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention. Program information, webinars, research briefs, evidence-based intervention fact sheets, and other resources. The center provides technical assistance and training to school districts and communities as they plan, implement, and sustain federally funded initiatives to foster resilience, promote mental health, and prevent adolescent violence and mental health and behavioral challenges. Resources and initiatives include Connecting Social and Emotional Learning with Mental Health. (2008). [Issue brief]. Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention. (2009). [Issue brief]. Also see Project LAUNCH. Several resources in the Adolescents section are applicable to school-age children. Additional Electronic Resources Berliner DC. 2009. Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success. Tempe, AZ: Education Policy Research Unit, Arizona State University; Boulder, CO: Education and the Public Interest Center, University of Colorado [Issue brief]. Bridgman A. 2010. Making Schools Safe for Sexual-Minority and All Students. Ann Arbor, MI: Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). [Policy brief]. Leibbrand JA, Watson BH. 2010. The Road Less Traveled: How the Developmental Sciences Can Prepare Educators to Improve Student Achievement. Policy Recommendations. Washington, DC: National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). [Report]. Also view the Chapin Hall webinar, School's Out: Policy Implications of Quality Accountability and Assessment in Afterschool Programs (2010). Also see the Child Trends reports, How Out-of-School Time Program Quality Is Related to Adolescent Outcomes (2010) and Programs for Children and Youth in a Community Context (2009), and the fact sheet, What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Children: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009). Adolescents This section presents resources that address scientific research about adolescent development; interdisciplinary models of physical and behavioral health care for adolescents; and approaches for developing, supporting, and sustaining youth development programs. Several resources are applicable to school-age children, as well. Websites Building Partnerships for Youth. A framework that describes the 21 essential elements of child and adolescent development, strategies for promoting positive child and adolescent development, a database of evaluated child and adolescent development programs, a program assessment tool, and training tools, fact sheets, and other resources. Building Partnerships for Youth is a partnership between the National 4-H Council and the University of Arizona. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Healthy Youth! Adolescent Health. Information about societal influences on adolescents and the critical types of adolescent health behavior that contribute markedly to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among adolescents and adults in the United States. Publications include science-based strategies to improve adolescent health and well-being and School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. (2009). [Guide, fact sheets]. Guide to Community Preventive Services: Adolescent Health. Recommendations for population-based interventions that focus on adolescent alcohol and drug use, violence, and sexual behaviors. Also see the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Finance Project: Information Resource Center. Access to a wealth of information on policies, programs, and financing strategies for initiatives striving to improve the lives of children, families and communities. Resources focus on promising practices, guides to federal funding, out-of-school time, supporting and sustaining adolescent programs, and adolescents who are transitioning out of foster care. The Finance Project is a nonprofit firm that helps leaders make smart investment decisions, develop sound financing strategies, and build solid partnerships that benefit children, families, and communities. FindYouthInfo.gov. Program and funding information and resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan, implement, and participate in effective programs for children and adolescents. Topics include positive child and adolescent development, bullying, after-school programs, and transition-age adolescents. FindYouthInfo.gov was created by the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, which is composed of representatives from 12 federal agencies that support programs and services focusing on children and adolescents. See the FindYouthInfo.gov directory of evidence-based programs. Forum for Youth Investment. Issue briefs, webinars, articles, and news about efforts to improve education, out-of-school time, adolescent development, and policy and planning to ensure that adolescents have the supports, opportunities, and services needed to prosper and contribute where they live, learn, work, and play. The forum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all adolescents are ready for college, work, and life. Initiatives include Ready by 21. A framework for child and adolescent-focused planning and decision-making and tools to help change makers—from parents to program directors to policy makers—optimize resources and streamline strategies to improve outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents. National Adolescent and Young Adult Health Information Center (NAHIC). Fact sheets, policy briefs, reports, and other materials about adolescent health on topics that include positive adolescent development, particularly for adolescent males. NAHIC is based at the University of California, San Francisco. National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health. Fact sheets, issue briefs, reports, and journal article citations about health care topics important to adolescents, such as health insurance and access to care; development of adolescent-friendly, interdisciplinary models of care; and assurance of confidential care. The alliance provides education, research, policy analysis, and technical assistance to support improvements in the way that adolescent health care is structured and financed. Concern for Our Teens: Opinion Leaders Speak Out on Adolescent Health. (2010). [Report]. National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (NCFY): Positive Youth Development. Program development and funding information, publications, an online training module, news, and podcasts about positive adolescent development. NCFY is funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). Also see the NCFY Literature Database. Note: Several resources in the School-Age Children section are applicable to adolescents. Additional Electronic Resources Arbreton A, Bradshaw M, Sheldon J, Pepper S. 2009. Making Everyday Count: Boys and Girls Clubs' Role in Promoting Positive Outcomes for Teens. Philadelphia, PA: Public/Private Ventures; Atlanta, GA: Boy's and Girls Clubs of America. [Report, executive summary]. Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). 2010. Making the Case—A Comprehensive Systems Approach for Adolescent Health and Well-Being. Washington, DC: Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). [White paper]. Cunha F, Heckman JJ. 2010. Investing in Our Young People. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). [Working paper]. Diaz A, Bilchik S, Kreipe R, Brown J, English A. 2010. Creating Healthy Opportunities: Conversations with Adolescent Health Experts. Washington, DC: National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation. [Paper]. Healthy Teen Network. 2009. A Policy Platform to Promote Health and Success Among Young Families. Baltimore, MD: Healthy Teen Network. [Report]. Hirschhorn Donahue E, Haskins R, Nightingale M. 2008. Using the Media to Promote Adolescent Well-Being. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. This policy brief is a companion piece to the Future of Children issue, Children and Electronic Media. Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2010. Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Lawrence, RS, Gootman JA, Sim LJ, eds. 2009. Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Report]. Maestas N, Gaillot S. 2010. An Outcome Evaluation of the Success for Kids Program. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. [Report, executive summary]. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2009. America's High Schools. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 19, no. 1; spring 2009). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries]. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Brookings Institution. 2010. Transition to Adulthood. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings Institution. (The Future of Children; v. 20, no. 1; spring 2010). [Journal, executive summary, policy brief, article summaries]. Also see the Child Trends research briefs, Adolescents and Electronic Media: Growing Up Plugged In (2009), Developmental Perspective on College and Workplace Readiness (2009), Developmental Perspective on Workplace Readiness: Preparing High School Students for Success (2009), and Exploring the Links Between Family Strengths and Adolescent Outcomes (2009), and the fact sheet, What Works for Parent Involvement Programs for Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Social Interventions (2009). Databases See the following set of MCH Library resource briefs to identify additional data and statistics, literature and research, and programs about social and emotional development in children and adolescents. Maternal and Child Health Data and Statistics Maternal and Child Health Literature and Research Databases Maternal and Child Health Programs Databases Resources for Families See the MCH Library family resource brief Social and Emotional Development in Kids and Teens. Resources for Schools See the MCH Library school resource brief Social and Emotional Development. Related MCH Library Resources Bullying resource brief Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief Home Visiting resource brief Life Course and Social Determinants resource brief Screening resource brief Sleep in Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents: Knowledge Path, 2nd ed. (May 2011). (Updated: February 2012). Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library. Reviewers: Lauren Agoratus, M.A., Family Voices and Family-to-Family Health Information Resource Center at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of N.J.; Robin L. Harwood, Ph.D., Maternal and Child Health Bureau; Keri Linas, Ph.D., Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development; Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S., MCH Library; Judi Siegel, L.I.C.S.W., Children's Hospital Boston. Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.

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Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path

Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents
Knowledge Path