Esther Wattenberg, September 2015
From time to time, a concerned visitor to my office will make a polite inquiry, after glancing at my cluttered desk: Have I heard of something called a “filing cabinet”? My muffled response is usually along these lines: “Yes, and I hope that person received the Nobel Prize for invention.”
Occasionally, a visitor will open up our exchange on policy and practice in Child Welfare with blunt advice: “Keep a garbage bag handy, and toss.”
Actually what these pieces of friendly advice bring me to is the inescapable context in which we live: our relentless search for clarity in understanding the human condition, with all of its perplexing and disturbing predicaments.
Certainly, I understand that my cluttered desk is an insult to those good thinkers who note that with the Internet, the paperless office is at hand. The warning appears and reappears in all the clutter: “Paperwork governs and gums up a huge portion of modern life.”
However, occasionally, an insistent message appears in all the clutter.
Here is the message: pay attention to the role of “attachment” in providing a sense of competency and empowerment for a child in a high-risk family.
This insistent interest reminded me of a long-ago exchange on “attachment,” with Professors Martha Farrell Erickson, and Byron Egeland. On re-reading this piece, I was struck with its power and relevance, having survived the better part of two decades. Professors Erickson and Egeland were then on the faculty of the Institute of Child Development, at the University of Minnesota.
Perhaps you will agree with me that “Considering Attachment Issues in Permanency Decisions” is a Q and A that deserves a second glance.
End Note: Our recent attention to “attachment” has emphasized its centrality in the well-being of a child.
Here is an astute summary of its importance, developed by scholars in the field.
A child who is doing well is secure and safe in his/her family: forms positive bonds with others; adapts successfully in the face of challenges; experiences joy, delight, and wonder; and has the capacity to be happy and empathetic to those around them.
You can also find more on attachment from CASCW and our partners here: