In this course, you will learn about the overall principles of human development. You will briefly consider issues relevant to the first year of life, like safe sleep and the dangers of shaking a baby, which impact DCYF’s work in many areas. You will learn why events of early childhood have a tremendous impact on the rest of a child’s life, and the importance of safe and stable relationships with adults during the vulnerable early childhood years. You will consider how the context and culture of a family may shape adults’ behavior and parenting, which may in turn impact what skills children develop and when, though there are many, many paths to healthy adulthood. Next, you will learn what discipline is, how it’s different than punishment, and what is explicitly prohibited in settings licensed by DCYF, like child-care and foster care settings. You will then consider cultural variations in discipline and the need for DCYF to support families and licensed settings alike in using discipline strategies that fit within their values system and are safe and effective. Lastly, you will consider the most common reasons children may show challenging behavior at home and in other settings, and the framework for managing behavior in licensed settings.