Child Care as a Relational Context for Early Development: Research in Neurobiology and Emerging Roles for Social Work

The quality of child care in the United States is an important social problem, particularly for economically vulnerable families. This is highlighted by multidisciplinary research on the importance of early caregiving as a determinant of child health and wellbeing. This article examines center-based child care as an important relational and developmental context for infants and young children. Through an integration of psychosocial studies and emerging research in the cognitive neurosciences, this paper describes how developmental research on early emotional development can be utilized to inform our understanding of child care as a critical social and interpersonal context for infants and young children. In particular, this paper examines research on early interpersonal experience as a determinant of the capacity for affect regulation. Focusing on the application of theory to practice, this paper discusses the relevance of this research to informed direct practice, advocacy and program development.