November 2007Vol. 8, No. 10Early Intervention Options for Developmental Problems in Maltreated Children
Although the rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect for children ages 18 and younger has generally shown a slight decrease since 1990, the rate of victimization for infants and toddlers younger than age 3 has continued to climb. Developmental problems in these children may be overlooked because of greater concerns about safety and permanency.
A new literature review produced by ZERO TO THREE for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cites common problems associated with maltreatment in the first 3 years of life, including health, cognitive, emotional, social, and psychopathological outcomes.
In the second part of this review, early intervention options and prevention programs are described. Because they address overlapping sets of problems, these interventions are grouped by treatment format, such as therapeutic daycare centers and preschools, foster care therapeutic interventions, clinic-based mental health treatment, and infant-focused interventions.
The full report, Literature Review: Developmental Problems of Maltreated Children and Early Intervention Options for Maltreated Children, is available from ASPE:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/Children-CPS/litrev/report.pdf (PDF- 259 KB)