The quality of the parenting relationship has a significant impact on a child's safety, but how can youth care professionals evaluate this? APH researcher Mirte Forrer (Educational scientist), child development specialist and manager at Jeugdbescherming (Child Protection), developed an observation tool for parental sensitivity as part of her PhD research.
Parental sensitivity – noticing, understanding, and appropriately responding to a child's signals – contributes to secure attachment and healthy development. The World Health Organization and the Health Council of the Netherlands, among others, recommend supporting families in providing parental sensitivity. To determine which families may need such support, professionals in youth care and child protection require effective observation tools. “However, existing tools are not suitable for everyday practice”, Forrer explains. For her dissertation, she developed a practical, user-friendly observation tool for parental sensitivity.
Read more about the observation tool at VU.nl
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