Trayectorias del desarrollo infantil en instituciones de protección en Colombia

Abstract

Child development in welfare institutions is an area of study that has become relevant in recent years. However, little has been said about what the developmental trajectories of institutionalized children look like and how they are associated with institutional characteristics. Thus, the present study used data collected in four welfare institutions of Bogotá, Colombia, to describe the trajectories of cognitive and socio-emotional development in a group of 127 children over a ten-month period, with three moments of measurement. Multilevel analysis models were implemented to explore trajectories of change in the child development with three levels of nesting: within-subject, between-subject and between-group. The results show problems in the initial state of children's development, but their upward trajectories suggest a gradual improvement over time. The quality of care in welfare institutions, especially in terms of the interaction between caregivers and children, is a significant predictor of change in cognitive and socio-emotional development over time.