RICHMOND, Va. - October 2, 2007 - Christian Children's Fund (CCF) has produced a Child Development Scale designed for use in developing countries. It is the first universal tool created by an international non-governmental organization that is designed to be useful regardless of the culture or circumstances in which a child lives.

"The scale is an important tool which takes into consideration the environment that influences the child's development," CCF President and CEO Anne Lynam Goddard said. "Parents can help their children develop properly when they understand their child's strengths as well as areas of need. This scale helps them do that."

The CCF Child Development Scale was designed for and piloted with children who live in poverty in developing countries. In development since 1999 and copyrighted by CCF, the scale uses materials familiar to the environment in which children live.

The scale is designed to be used in partnership with parents or primary caregivers and administered by trained volunteers, rather than requiring skilled child development professionals. It screens the development of children in order to describe their strengths and identify those who need further evaluation. It also aids parents in understanding their child's needs.

The scale covers five areas of child development for children from birth to age 5. A database system allows tracking of a child's results.

"The scale helps identify children's strengths in cognitive, social/emotional and communication and motor skills - both the use of large and small muscles," said Dr. Mary Moran, CCF's Senior Early Childhood Development Specialist, who is providing oversight to rollout the scale. "It also identifies children whose development is at risk in a specific area or overall. This allows programs to be designed that address children's individual needs as well as helping the parents better understand their children."

For example, the fine motor skills of a child in the 9-12 month age range will be tested by their ability to move objects into a container, in addition to two other indicators for that developmental area. Communication and language skills for a child in the 36-48 month age range are tested by their ability to tell stories, in addition to two other indicators.

The CCF Child Development Scale contains 165 indicators grouped into five developmental areas within 11 age ranges. Each age range contains three indicators per development area.

The scale was designed and developed by a team representing 10 countries based on current knowledge of child development, as well as existing tools. It was tested to determine the usefulness of indicators, validity, reliability and ease of administration.

The CCF Child Development Scale was introduced in Guatemala, India and Zambia following formal staff training conducted by Moran. It is also used in Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras and Mexico as well.

The scale was designed to be low cost in order to be practical in the developing world. Translated into local languages, the scale can be used to screen children in their own homes or early childhood development centers. It is administered in the language used in the child's home. The scale is accompanied by three different guides - an Examiner's Guide, a Trainer's Guide and a Database Guide.

CCF will continue to roll out the Child Development Scale to the other program countries in the future.

"We are excited to use the Child Development Scale in our programs as part of CCF's new Strategic Plan," Goddard said. "We consider it an integral part of our efforts to develop relevant and effective programs for young children and their families."

The scale was designed to be relatively low cost in order to be practical in the developing world. The scale, translated into local languages, is divided into three different guides - for examiners, trainers and database users.

The Examiner's Guide details the indicator for each developmental area and age range. It also include instructions on administering the item, the materials needed, results expected and the significance of each item in indicating child development. The Trainer's Guide includes information on interacting with parents and utilization of recording forms. ### Media Contacts: Jennifer Harter (804) 756-8994 Ellie Whinnery (804) 756-8987

Christian Children's Fund (CCF) is a global force for children, helping the world's poorest and most vulnerable survive and thrive in order to reach their full potential. One of the world's oldest and most respected international child development organizations, CCF works in 31 countries and assists approximately 13.2 million children and family members worldwide, regardless of race, creed or origin. ###