Parent News March-April 2001. More recently, research has identified characteristics of the adult-child relationship as uniquely important to children s development. The adult-child relationship in early childhood settings influences children s development in a number of ways. Adults provide emotional security. Although the attachment a child forms with an adult in child care is different from the attachment a child forms with his or her parents, a secure emotional bond with a caregiver is essential for healthy child development.
Secure attachments develop as a result of sensitive, warm, responsive, and respectful caregiving.
Secure attachments with adults in child care also influence children s friendships. The impact of children s close relationships with adults on social competence continues beyond the preschool years. Research conducted by Carolee Howes of UCLA found that a positive teacher-child relationship in child care predicted social competence with peers much beyond child care years. Howes s longitudinal study reported that children s friendships as well as their relationships with their elementary school teachers were influenced by their relationships with their toddler and preschool teachers. Children who had close relationships with teachers in the preschool years were rated high in social competence and high in child-teacher closeness five years later.