Some

 Simple  Ideas  for  the  Promotion  

of  Healthy  Child  Brain  Development  
by  Jane  F.  Gilgun  
University  of  Minnesota,  Twin  Cities,  USA  

 
Summary  

This  brief  article  identifies  a  few  key  ideas  on  healthy  child  and  family  development.    
There  is  now  wide-­spread  recognition  of  the  importance  of  healthy  brain  development  in  
infants  and  young  children.    Healthy  brain  development  requires  parents  who  have  capacities  
for  secure  attachments.  Parental  capacities  for  secure  attachments  require  supportive  
contexts.  Most  parents  find  within  themselves  and  within  their  own  families  and  social  
networks  sufficient  support  so  that  they  can  provide  the  safety  of  secure  relationships  to  their  
children.  Some  parents,  however  are  so  overwhelmed  with  meeting  basic  human  needs  of  
food,  clothing,  housing,  safety,  and  medical  care,  that  they  are  unable  to  be  emotionally  
available  to  their  children.  Social  policy  and  programs  can  provide  the  supports  that  these  
parents  require.    We  all  benefit  when  social  policies  and  programs  support  families  and  
children  so  that  parents  in  turn  can  foster  healthy  brain  development  in  their  infants  and  
young  children.  
 
About  the  Author  
 
Jane  F.  Gilgun,  Ph.D.,  LICSW,  is  a  professor,  School  of  Social  Work,  University  of  
Minnesota,  Twin  Cities,  USA.  For  many  years  Professor  Gilgun  has  done  research  on  child  
and  family  development  under  conditions  of  adversity.  
 Some  Simple  Ideas  for  the  Promotion  
of  Healthy  Child  Brain  Development  
 

T  
he  importance  of  healthy  brain  development  in  infants  and  young  children  is  widely  
recognized.    Social  policies  must  create  conditions  where  healthy  infant  and  child  
development  can  take  place.    Not  only  do  the  children  and  their  families  benefit  
when  social  conditions  promote  healthy  child  and  family  development,  but  communities  
and  the  wider  society  benefit  as  well.    
 
The  point  of  this  brief  article  is  the  following.    
 
Healthy  brain  development,  and  child  development  in  general,  requires  secure  
attachment  with  parents.  Secure  attachments  with  parents  require  parents  to  have  
multiple  supportive  contexts.  Social  policy  and  programs  can  contribute  to  the  
supportive  contexts  that  parents  require  to  raise  healthy  children.    

Brain  Development  and  Attachment  

Healthy  brain  development  takes  place  within  the  safety  of  secure  attachments  with  
parents.  Research  from  many  different  sources  supports  this  statement.    Parents  who  have  
capacities  for  promoting  secure  attachments  are  sensitive  and  responsive  to  children,  are  
emotionally  available  to  them,  and  are  attuned  to  the  cues  that  infants  and  young  children  
show  in  their  own  behaviors.  In  addition,  parents  with  capacities  for  secure  attachments  
provide  guidelines  and  rules  for  behaviors,  reward  behaviors  they  want,  and  set  limits  on  
behaviors  they  do  not  want.  In  short,  they  are  emotionally  available  and  provide  clear  
expectations  and  structure  for  children.    

When  children  have  quality  of  care  characterized  by  secure  attachments,  their  
brains  develop  optimally.  They  develop  capacities  for  attunement  to  others,  for  self-­‐
regulation,  and  for  executive  skills.  Executive  skills  include  flexible  thinking,  self-­‐control,  
and  anticipation  of  consequences.    Self-­‐regulation  means  that  children  manage  their  
behaviors,  their  emotions,  and  their  thinking  in  prosocial  ways;  that  is,  in  ways  that  benefit  
themselves  and  others.  

The  Social  Contexts  of  Brain  Development  and  Attachment  

Parental  capacities  for  secure  attachments  require  supportive  contexts.  Most  

parents  find  within  themselves  and  within  their  own  families  and  social  networks  sufficient  
support  so  that  they  can  provide  the  safety  of  secure  relationships  to  their  children.  Some  
parents,  however  are  so  overwhelmed  with  meeting  basic  human  needs  of  food,  clothing,  
housing,  safety,  and  medical  care,  that  they  are  unable  to  be  emotionally  available  to  their  
children.  Social  policy  and  programs  can  provide  the  supports  that  these  parents  require.    
  

Beneficial  Social  Policies  

 There  are  many  examples  of  how  social  polices  and  programs  can  benefit  parents  
and  therefore  benefit  healthy  child  development.    Here  are  some.  

• Economic  development  that  give  incentives  for  businesses  and  companies  

large  and  small  to  be  established  in  communities  where  parents  have  difficulty  
finding  work;      

• Educational  and  job  training  opportunities  for  parents  that  provide  for  
transportation,  child  care,  and  financial  support  of  families  while  parents  obtain  
the  training  they  need;      

• Mental  health  and  chemical  dependency  treatment  programs  that  are  

community-­‐based  and  tailored  to  the  persons  who  use  these  services,  including  
provisions  for  parents  and  children  to  stay  together  during  the  course  of  
treatment;  and  

• Recreational  opportunities  and  families  and  children.    

These  are  examples  of  supportive  policies  and  programs.    They  are  basic.  Other  programs  
enhance  parental  capacities  as  well.  Child  development,  family  development,  and  social  
development  and  well-­‐being  are  based  upon  inter-­‐connected  policies  and  programs  that  
enhance  parental  capacities  to  be  emotionally  available  to  their  children.  

Conclusion  

These  are  simple  examples  of  policies  and  programs  that  support  parents’  capacities  
for  providing  the  safety  of  secure  relationships  to  their  children.  When  parents  provide  the  
safety  of  secure  relationships,  children  thrive.  Their  brains  develop  optimally.  Everyone  
gains:  children,  families,  communities,  and  society  in  general.  

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