Dear Professional:

This Resource Kit on Infant Attachment has been developed by Health Canada with the expert guidance of professionals and researchers working in the fields of attachment and parenting. The purpose of the Kit is to assist you in your work with expectant mothers and new parents in order to promote secure infant attachment.

The Kit contains two types of resources. The four professional resource sheets are intended to provide you with background information on the history and importance of secure infant attachment for healthy psycho-social and physical development. These resources describe what infant attachment is, why secure attachment matters, and what role the professional can play in promoting and fostering it.

The second type of resource is information for parents and other primary caregivers. The three parent fact and information sheets - ‘Infant Attachment - What Babies Have to Say', ‘Infant Attachment - Helpful Things for Parents/Caregivers To Know', and ‘Infant Attachment - Resource List' - are designed to help parents to understand and be attentive to their babies' behaviours, and foster secure attachment, as well as to provide them with information about additional supports and resources.

We hope you will use these resources as a tool to support your work with parents. Many, while focussing primarily on the physical care needs of their babies, may not be aware of the importance of infant social development. Research indicates that attachment is crucial to infant well-being and has lifelong implications. Professionals, such as yourself, have a very important role to play in both educating parents, and monitoring the overall well-being of infants and parents.

The Kit has been published in limited numbers. For additional copies please contact Health Canada Publications, 0900C2, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9; Telephone: (613) 954 5995; Fax: (613) 941 5366; or, e-mail: info@hc-sc.gc.ca. The Kit will also be made available in the future on the Health Canada web site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca. The three parent information sheets can be photocopied and distributed to your clientele.

• Infant Attachment - What Professionals Need to Know
  (in HTML or PDF 4 Pages - 299 KB)
  
  
• Infant Attachment - Things for Professionals to Watch For and Ask About
  (in HTML or PDF 2 Pages - 172 KB)
  
  
• Infant Attachment - What Professionals Can Do
  (in HTML or PDF 2 Pages - 175 KB)
  
  
• Infant Attachment - Suggested Additional Reading
  (in HTML or PDF 2 Pages - 176 KB)
  
  
  
  
• Infant Attachment - Helpful Things for Parents/Caregivers to Know
  (in HTML or PDF 2 Pages - 184 KB)
  
  
• Infant Attachment - What Babies Have to Say!
  (in HTML or PDF 1 Page - 141 KB)
  
  
• Infant Attachment - Resource List
  (in HTML or PDF 1 Page - 140 KB)