Institute for Parenting  Adelphi University

Infants and Trauma: Implications for Prevention Programs and Child Welfare Services 

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Recent research tells us that very young children are exposed to direct and indirect trauma at high rates and are even more susceptible to trauma exposure if they live in high-poverty communities. Although the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers can be particularly harmful we know that stable, nurturing caregiving helps to buffer them against the long lasting impact of these negative experiences.  For many young children who experience trauma from maltreatment it is the child welfare system that is responsible for addressing their complicated range of needs related to their trauma. Thus, specialized interventions for prevention and child welfare need to be implemented that promote infants’ safety, security, and developmental progress (Jones Harden, 2015).

In this training, the instructor will provide an overview of what is currently known about the impact of trauma on infants and toddlers (ages 0-3). She will examine a range of intervention strategies that could potentially protect them from the adverse consequences of traumatic experiences. The focus will be on evidence-based interventions that support parents to provide the stable and nurturing caregiving that is responsive to the child’s general developmental needs and promote a child’s sense of safety and security in the context of trauma exposure. A particular emphasis will be transforming child welfare—both social services and the court—to a developmentally-sensitive and trauma-informed service delivery system.

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About the Instructor

Brenda Jones Harden, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland College Park. She has worked over thirty-five years in the early childhood policy, practice, and research arenas.  Her research examines the developmental and mental health needs of young children at environmental risk, particularly those who have been maltreated or exposed to other forms of trauma. A particular focus is preventing maladaptive outcomes in these populations through early childhood and parenting programs, such as early care and education, home visiting services, and infant mental health interventions.

Dr. Jones Harden is the author of numerous publications regarding vulnerable children and families, particularly risk and protective factors that are linked with their developmental outcomes. She also has examined the role of early care and education programs in promoting better outcomes for children reared in poverty and other high-risk contexts. Additionally, she is the sole author of the book Infants in the child welfare system: A developmental perspective on policy and practice, and has co-authored multiple empirical articles and chapters on the development and mental health of young maltreated children and the evaluation of parenting interventions for families in which there are children exposed to early adversity.

As a scientist-practitioner, Dr. Jones Harden conducts training and consultation with early childhood and parenting programs to improve the quality of services provided to young children and families experiencing trauma and other forms of environmental risk.  She received the doctoral degree in developmental and clinical psychology from Yale University, and the Master in Social Work degree from New York University.

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Registration

Program begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.