Introduction: CASA/LA Early Childhood Training Program

The Purpose of the Early Childhood Training Program

The Early Childhood Training Program for CASA/LA volunteers and court and community stakeholders compliments the intensive training completed by all CASA/LA volunteers prior to case assignment. Young children who experience trauma, abuse, neglect, and removal from primary caregivers and familiar environments have unique and critical needs. It is essential for individuals working with this population to understand the potential negative consequences of these circumstances and know how to use strategies and provide supports that can substantially reduce negative outcomes. CASA/LA volunteers and court and community stakeholders are in a unique position to utilize this information and to ensure the provision of these supports to young children.

Unfortunately, young children represent the fastest growing population entering the Child Welfare System and currently account for more than one third of all children abused or neglected. In 2010, of the 254,375 children who entered the foster care system nationally, 47% were birth through five years old, and 16% of these were infants less than one year of age.[1] Furthermore, research indicates that infants and toddlers are more likely to remain in foster care for more than a year, with an average length of time in the system for 3 to 5 years. Very young children separated from primary caregivers, especially children who experience multiple placements, are at high risk of negative and long-term consequences in all aspects of development. This includes poor attachment formation, under-stimulation, developmental delay, poor physical development, and antisocial behavior. These outcomes may by compounded by the effects of trauma, abuse/neglect, and maltreatment, leading to long-term negative outcomes including school failure, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and the continuation of the cycle of maltreatment in future generations.

Even though the potential for negative lifetime outcomes for young children in the foster care system is substantial, there is evidence that early intervention and permanency can support their development and increase opportunities for more positive long-term outcomes.

Over the past 20 years, our understanding of early development in children – particularly during the first five years of life – has expanded dramatically as a result of increased research on the intersection of neurobiology, relationships, and environments. The seminal study, Neurons to Neighborhoods, is the product of a two-and-a-half-year project that brought together a multi-disciplinary team of 17 individuals from top agencies to evaluate and integrate the current science of early childhood development.[2]

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