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“As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, and that each of us has something that no one else has – or ever will have – something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression.” – Fred Rogers

What is Social-Emotional Development and Why is it Important?

According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), social and emotional development (also called social-emotional learning) consists of five core components:

Listen as an expert provides insight into what social-emotional development is, and why it is important to make children’s social-emotional development a priority in early childhood education and care.

Early Attachments and Approaches to Learning

Social-emotional development builds upon the formation of secure, early attachment relationships. Healthy attachment relationships are formed when caregivers engage children in nurturing and responsive interactions. Cognitive, motor and language development are all affected by a child’s self-confidence and how they express emotions and needs. Neuroscience research tells us that children’s secure emotional development is the foundation for the later development of academic skills. Children need to develop empathy, self-regulation, emotional expression, and the ability to engage with adults and peers.

Approaches to learning (e.g., persistence, curiosity, intensity, etc.) are critical aspects of a young child’s social-emotional development and can be supported through sustained and meaningful play with caregivers, teachers, and family members. Children need positive, caring and trusted adults as they develop their self-confidence, learn to negotiate conflicts with others, address bullying behavior, and engage in decision-making about time management, educational decisions and peer friendships.

Listen as an expert in the field outlines the importance of attachment relationships in children’s learning. As you watch and listen, notice the behaviors that show positive relationships and attachment between children and their caregivers.

Supervise & �Թ���

Social-Emotional Development in Your Program

It is essential that you help support the stages of social-emotional development in each age group within your program. All families need the support of their children’s caregivers and teachers in this area of development. Some families may be going through transitions (e.g., marital separation, birth of a baby, grandparent illness, etc.) and may ask for assistance with finding community resources and services to help a child develop the ability to self-regulate emotions.

As a Program Manager, you must ensure that children’s social-emotional learning goals are addressed within all facets of your program. Practical ways you can implement this in your program are:

• Make sure that your program’s mission, goals, and policies directly address the promotion of social-emotional development for all children.
• Provide support for families with developing secure attachments and supporting social-emotional development.
• Provide training and coaching for staff on supporting children’s social-emotional development and addressing challenging behavior.
• Observe and document children’s social-emotional development.
• Be aware of how children in your program express their social-emotional needs.

You also encounter many situations that can lead to emotional distress. It is important to reflect on your own coping strategies for regulating your emotions. You are a model for staff and families in how you cope with the daily stresses of managing a child-care and/or youth program. Emotion regulation includes the ability to use and respond to emotions in a healthy manner. Gratz and Tull state, “Healthy emotion regulation may include having healthy strategies to manage uncomfortable emotions, the ability to pursue goals and engage in healthy behaviors when experiencing distress, and the ability to avoid impulsive behaviors when experiencing difficult emotions” (Gratz & Tull, 2010). Staff and families may have different definitions of appropriate coping strategies based on their culture and experiences.

Social-Emotional Development: Resources for Families and Staff

Staff members and families need access to specific training, resources and information regarding warning signs of mental health disorders, prevention of challenging behaviors, and ways to support families. You should be engaged with other agencies and have a clear understanding of what resources are available to families.

The following are some ways you can make resources available for families and staff:

• Offer to connect families with appropriate services and resources.
• Provide links and suggestions on your program’s website, social media, and in newsletters about relevant parenting workshops, mental-health services, articles, tip sheets, and other evidence-based resources.
• Provide resources in families’ home languages.
• Plan workshops that include diverse presenters who are knowledgeable about topics regarding social and emotional topics (e.g., bullying, biting, how to make friends) and development (e.g., milestones of social-emotional development and age-appropriate behavior).

Keeping staff members informed about available programs and resources is crucial to help families who need assistance. Families may be more comfortable turning to their child’s teacher or youth leader for advice. Sharing information about relevant resources (e.g., Department of Defense New Parent �Թ��� Programs, playgroups, and parenting classes) with your staff members and families demonstrates your commitment to meeting families’ needs for information to support their children’s social-emotional development.

Impact of Family Stress and Trauma on Social-Emotional Development

While children are enrolled in your program, families may experience a range of stressful and traumatic events, such as separation of parents, death of a grandparent, illness of another child, etc. These events can affect a child’s social-emotional development. Managers and program staff must carefully observe, listen to, and support children who may react to family stress in a variety of ways, such as increased tantrums, refusal to play, and lack of focus during group activities or games. Caring and trusted adults can make a difference in children’s social-emotional outcomes and may be a stabilizing factor in successful lifelong development and learning.

According to Dr. Rita Smilkstein, emotions, thinking, learning and remembering are inextricably bound. People with positive emotional experiences learn that they are safe, valued and respected. They have self-esteem and self-confidence and behave accordingly. With traumatic experiences, people learn they are unsafe, not valued and not respected. They have low self-esteem, lack self-confidence, and behave accordingly. Being highly upset or overstimulated by negative emotions can also overshadow and interfere with other brain activities, such as curiosity, concentration, and motivation to learn (Davies, 2011). Although it is never too late to learn new skills, it will take time, patience and a team approach from all adults to help all children develop the skills they need. You can find more information about trauma-informed practices in the Trauma Informed Care Focused Topics course.

Family stress can impact children and families in many ways. Listen as this childcare professional describes the social emotional needs and ways that children from military families may experience stress.

Leadership: �Թ���ing Social-Emotional Development

As a Program Manager, it is your responsibility to ensure that all staff members and families understand the importance of guiding children’s social-emotional development. The importance should be made evident through the program’s mission statement, goals, and policies. You and staff members build positive relationships with one another and with families. Staff members work together to support family members’ needs for information and resources, which should be accessible to staff members and families through multiple vehicles (the program’s website, a family center or resource library, program newsletters, etc.) and in the family’s home language.

What does this mean for you?

Staff members will enter your program with a range of skills and experiences related to promoting social-emotional development. Some staff members may have misconceptions regarding social-emotional development. Other staff members may struggle with their own social-emotional skills. As a Program Manager, you are responsible for making sure staff members understand typical social-emotional development. Then, you can help them develop programs that give children the opportunity to develop the confidence and competence they need. It is also your responsibility to be attuned to the social-emotional needs of staff members. Be aware of staff members’ stress levels, friendships in the program, and social tensions. This will help you maintain a healthy workplace for yourself and your staff.

Completing This Course

For more information on what to expect in this course and a list of the accompanying Learn, Explore and Apply resources and activities offered throughout the lessons, visit the Management Social & Emotional Development Course Guide.

To support the professional development of the direct care staff members or family child care providers you oversee, you can access their corresponding Course Guides:

• Infant & Toddler Social & Emotional Development Course Guide 
• Preschool Social & Emotional Development Course Guide 
• School-Age Social & Emotional Development Course Guide 
• Family Child Care Social & Emotional Development Course Guide