![]() This ensures the Tool’s integrity and increases its reliability and validity. ![]() However, training and certification on the CHILD is essential prior to its use. ![]() There are no prerequisites for training in the CHILD Tool. To date, it has been used across the US and in Canada. Early adopters of the CHILD include early childhood mental health consultants, researchers, program evaluators, school administrators and program directors, instructional coaches, and teachers. The CHILD has also been used for professional development, primarily through CHILD-informed ECMHC. The CHILD Tool, and its predecessor the Preschool Mental Health Climate Scale (Gilliam, 2008), has been used most often to evaluate the quality of early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) services. Currently under development is a version of the CHILD specifically for Infants and Toddlers in family-based programs (I/T CHILD). However, it has been used with younger and older age groups and also in non-center-based programs. The Pre-School (or PK) CHILD is intended for the 3-5 year-old age group in center-based care and education centers. The assessment must include both structured and unstructured activities, and may include activities such as snack, lunch, arrival/dismissal, and outdoor play. This process is then repeated three more times, for a total of four coding blocks. Then, observers spend approximately 10 minutes anchoring and scoring each CHILD item based on their observation. First, observers spend 20 minutes watching the classroom and taking copious notes on adults’ and children’s behaviors and interactions. Each coding block is about 30 minutes long. The entire assessment takes about two hours, ideally divided into four coding blocks. These are behaviors and interactions that do no harm (they are certainly not undermining), but which are not quite best practice (and as such do not meet the criteria for promoting). In the middle of the spectrum is the Baseline Expectation. For instance, a teacher telling a child that s/he/they sees and appreciates the child’s hard work on a given task. At the opposite end of the spectrum are interactions and behaviors that Promote a mentally healthy climate. For example, a teacher shaming a child for forgetting the name of a letter or number. At one end of this spectrum are interactions and behaviors that Undermine a mentally healthy climate. The CHILD guides observers in placing each item along a quality spectrum based on their observation. These items focus on behaviors and interactions that occur in early childhood classrooms every day. These nine dimensions are further divided into 28 easily observable items. Adult Awareness – monitoring and attunement to both overt and subtle signals and signs for assistance.ĥ. Adult Affect – emotional state of adults.Ħ. Adult Cooperation – adults’ demonstration of teamwork, camaraderie, and genuine enjoyment of each other’s presence.ħ. Adult-Child Interactions – adult interactions with children characterized by dignity, respect, genuine relationships, equity, and the celebration of diversity.Ĩ. Individualized & Developmentally Appropriate Practices – promotion of holistic development through a child-centered and individualized approach.ĩ. Child Behaviors – child behaviors exhibiting positive affect and self-regulation. Social & Emotional Learning – fostering emotional literacy, relationship skill-building, and social problem-solving.Ĥ. Directions & Rules – behavior management characterized by setting, modeling, and enforcing clear, consistent, and developmentally appropriate rules of conduct and applying proactive and positive behavior strategies.ģ. Transitions – smooth, efficient, flexible, and productive transitions between activities.Ģ. The CHILD partitions the mental health climate into nine dimensions or categories:ġ. A mentally healthy climate is characterized by authentic warmth and friendship, a developmentally appropriate and child-centered pedagogy, the equitable treatment of children, and a focus on fostering children’s psychosocial well-being and holistic development. The Climate of Healthy Interactions for Learning and Development (CHILD) Tool (Gilliam & Reyes, 2017) is a comprehensive observational assessment of the mental health (or social and emotional) climate of early care and education settings. Download information about the CHILD Observation Tool Measuring the Mental Health Climate
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