Understanding Why - Attachment and Education for Adopted and Looked-After Children

Understanding Why focuses on understanding attachment and its effect on education, particularly looking at the impact of attachment difficulties in children and young people who are adopted or looked after by local authorities.

The booklet aims to help all those living or working with children and young people to recognise attachment difficulties and work together to support successful learning. 

Attachment difficulties are behaviours and feelings that are common among many children and young people who have experienced a major loss or trauma early in their lives. The booklet is aimed at those working with children and young people in care and education settings including:

• Teachers
  
  
• Teaching assistants
  
  
• Lecturers
  
  
• School nurses
  
  
• Education support staff for looked after children and vulnerable children
  
  
• Foster and other carers
  
  
• Residential child care workers
  parents

Click for more information on the Healthy Care programme.