Protect at Risk Children From

¶ … Protect at Risk Children From Negative Outcomes

One of the unfortunate consequences of the human condition is that some children will not enjoy the same level of support and resources as their peers because of various socioeconomic and family situational factors. Nevertheless, history has demonstrated time and again that some children are able to overcome whatever adversities life throws at them to emerge as well adjusted and intelligent members of society who go on to achieve their personal and professional goals irrespective of these challenges and obstacles. These children, though, appear to be the exception rather than the rule and it is reasonable to suggest that children who are at risk will suffer from these experiences rather than benefit from them no matter how resilient they may be (Evans, 2001). To determine those factors that can serve to protect at-risk children from negative outcomes, this paper reviews the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to collect and evaluate the strongest available evidence concerning those protective factors that support optimal early childhood development. An analysis of how these factors protect against the effects of an unequal start in life and their implications for later life outcomes is followed by a summary of the research and important findings.

In their timely report, "The Long-Term Effects of Recession-Induced Child Poverty," First Focus (2009) emphasizes that children who experience the effects of poverty are at particularly high risk for experiencing a number of adverse academic and health-related outcomes during their childhood as well as poorer health and diminished earning potential later in life. These are particularly salient issues as the global economic recession continues to adversely affect the ability of parents and the government to provide desperately needed early childhood development interventions (Aber, 2007). According to Yarrow (2009), "The economic crisis that began in 2008 and the 2009 federal stimulus package posed roadblocks and opportunities for an ambitious child-policy agenda, given both fiscal constraints and calls for 'investment' in school buildings, teachers, and children's education and health" (p. 27). Unfortunately, the longer young children spend in impoverished conditions, the more serious the consequences are across the broad range of measures, including higher rates of dropping out of school, and an inability to gain meaningful employment later in life (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997). According to Cate et al. (2009), families who have young children in Shelby County and Memphis are more likely to live in lower-income neighborhoods; moreover, of the eight neighborhoods surveyed by these researchers, the three with the highest concentrations of families that were headed by single parents were also the three most impoverished neighborhoods (i.e., North Downtown, North Memphis, and Orange Mound).

Because resources are by definition scarce, then, it is important to spend whatever money is available where it will do the most good for these at-risk children (White, 2004). While it is reasonable to posit that all impoverished families could benefit from increased income levels, a realistic approach demands that whatever money is available be spent on those interventions with proven efficacy (Barnett & Belfield, 2006). In this regard, according to Pati, Hashim, Brown and Forrest (2009), the resources that are spent on early childhood development initiatives represent some of the most important interventions available to help at-risk children avoid the negative outcomes that are generally associated with their status. These authors emphasize that, "From a life course perspective, investing in improving early school success by nurturing children's adaptability -- promoting resilience factors while reducing risks -- is both worthwhile and cost-effective" (Pati et al., 2009, p. 5).

Indeed, early childhood development interventions can help young children overcome the risk factors they may be forced to deal with on a day-to-day basis, but studies have shown that such interventions carry important implications throughout the life span (Bornstein, Davidson, Keyes & Moore, 2003; Pati et al., 2009). In order to formulate effective early childhood development interventions, though, it is important to determine what risk factors are involved and what coping skills young children possess. In this regard, Pati and her associates add that, "Identifying critical risk and resilience factors is the first step in developing interventions to promote early school success" (p. 5). These recommendations, though, will not magically produce the resources needed to eradicate poverty, but they do emphasize the need to determine what specific factors must be addressed in order to develop effective interventions to address them. These recommendations also make it clear that all children and their families are unique and some may require more assistance than others in certain areas. This recommendation is congruent with Pati et al.'s observations that, "From a treatment perspective, separating patients into different service intensity levels is also commonplace in clinical practice" (p. 13).