BC Council for Families

A collection of articles on attachment relationships between infants and caregivers, what influences them and how they impact on an infant's development.

From the host website: "We now understand, through painstaking and detailed longitudinal research investigations, more fully than ever before what children need in order to thrive emotionally, socially and cognitively to the benefit of themselves, their families, and their communities. We also know that failing to meet these needs carries enormous health and economic costs.

Children need consistent, sensitive and responsive loving care – something that is as important as the need for nutrition. So, while vast funds are needed to address children’s needs for food, shelter, and immunizations against the threat of disease, funds and resources must also be invested in educating parents, teachers and public policy officials about the immediate and long-term importance of meeting young children’s urgent wishes for attachment security in their relationships with parents or parent substitutes. This need for attachment security, together with the parental causes and beneficent consequences that are likely to follow once attachment security is established or regained, are concisely presented in this landmark document which deserves wide circulation among all those with the power to influence public and social policy as concerns child and social welfare.

This is the first in a series of publications produced by the Child and Youth Studies Group at The Open University, United Kingdom, with the support of the Bernard van Leer Foundation. The series provides accessible and clear reviews of the best and most recent available research, information and analysis on key policy issues, offering clear messages on core policy topics and questions."

Oates, John (ed.) "Attachment Relationships." Early Childhood in Focus 1: Quality of Care for Young Children.  The Open University: Milton Keynes, UK.  2007. 
To obtain further copies of this and other publications in the series, visit: www.bernardvanleer.org