- To assist in parental termination cases
- Adoption placement
- Ordered by court in custody/parenting time evaluations
It is the right of every child to grow up in a consistent, safe and nurturing environment, which promotes healthy attachments. Attachment is the fundamental building block of development. The lack of an appropriate bond can distort all other stages of development. It impacts cognitive, neurological, social and emotional functioning. Bonding deficiency often interferes with the child's ability to form subsequent attachments, and negatively influences the child’s beliefs and behaviors about future relationships. If a child does not establish basic trust in the early months, he/she may not form the type of reciprocal, responsive relationships necessary for effective functioning in the areas such as marriage, parenting, therapy, education and employment. The lack of appropriate bonding on the part of the parent to the child highly correlates with the incidence of neglect and abuse. The primary bond and attachment does not necessarily need to occur with the biological parent. It can occur between a child and a primary caregiver in a variety of alternative family constellations such as a foster family or an adoptive family. Each child is a unique individual and may express attachment and bonding as well as difficulties in a variety of ways.
