This document discusses Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and how it influences the assessment of family and environmental factors that impact child development. It describes the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem layers of influence. Family history, housing, employment, income, social integration, and community resources are identified as key environmental factors to consider. The assessment framework is intended to help practitioners systematically evaluate a child's development and risks, while recognizing that low income, poor housing, and social exclusion can negatively impact development.

1. Assessing Needs & Risks 2:Family
and Environmental factors
Presentation 2: Ecological Theory’s
influence on ‘Family &
Environmental Factors’ (DoH, 2000)
Nathan Loynes

2. Ecological Systems Theory
Development is the result
of the relationships between
people and their
environments.

3. Or in simpler terms:

4. Alternatively;
(Think of the ripple effect of throwing
a stone into a pond)

5. Bronfenbrenner’s actual representation of his Ecological Theory
Based on Bronfenbrenner, U. 1979. The Ecology of Human Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

6. The FOUR layers
(Think of the ripple effect of throwing
a stone into a pond…)
• Microsystem: Relationships with direct
contact to the child
• Mesosystem: Connection between
relationships of child’s microsystem
• Exosystem: Structures in which child
the child does not have direct contact
• Macrosystem: Cultural context

7. Microsystem
Variables that the child is directly exposed to
• Relationships: Family, school, religious
institution, neighbors
 Family: Most influential and durable influence on child
• Environment: Geographic, Material structures
• Child’s body




General health
Brain functioning – physiological and psychological
Emotions
Cognitive System

8. Mesosystem
Interconnections between the microsystems
• Interactions between the
family and teachers
• Relationship between the
child’s peers and the family

9. Exosystem
Institutions of society that indirectly affect a
child’s development
• Parent’s workplace
• Funding for education
 These impact a child’s development by
influencing structures in the
microsystem

10. Macrosystem
• Cultural context
• Provides the values, beliefs, customs, and laws of
the culture in which a child grows up
• Influences how parents, teachers, and others
raise a child
• May be conscious or unconscious
• Influences the societal values, legislation, and
financial resources provided by a society to help
families function
• Influences the interactions of all other layers

11. Bronfenbrenner’s theory influenced

12. Family and environmental factors
In my opinion, based on two presuppositions:
1. Families need income and a
place to live.
2. Families need formal & informal
support from other people.

13. Family history and functioning
• Family history includes both genetic and psycho-social
factors.
• Family functioning is influenced by who is living in the
household and how they are related to the child;
significant changes in family / household composition;
history of childhood experiences of parents;
chronology of significant life events and their meaning
to family members; nature of family functioning,
including sibling relationships and its impact on the
child; parental strengths and difficulties, including
those of an absent parent; the relationship between
separated parents.

14. Wider family
• Who are considered to be members of the
wider family by the child and the parents?
This includes related and non-related persons
and absent wider family.
• What is their role and importance to the child
and parents and in precisely what way?

15. Housing
• Does the accommodation have basic amenities and
facilities appropriate to the age and development of
the child and other resident members?
• Is the housing accessible and suitable to the needs of
disabled family members?
• Includes the interior and exterior of the
accommodation and immediate surroundings. Basic
amenities include water, heating, sanitation, cooking
facilities, sleeping arrangements and cleanliness,
hygiene and safety and their impact on the child's
upbringing.

16. Employment
• Who is working in the household, their
pattern of work and any changes?
• What impact does this have on the child?
• How is work or absence of work viewed by
family members?
• How does it affect their relationship with the
child?
• Includes children's experience of work and its
impact on them.

17. Income
• Income available over a sustained period of time.
• Is the family in receipt of all its benefit
entitlements?
• Sufficiency of income to meet the family's needs.
• The way resources available to the family are
used.
• Are there financial difficulties which affect the
child?

18. Family's social integration
• Exploration of the wider context of the local
neighbourhood and community and its impact
on the child and parents. Includes the degree
of the family's integration or isolation, their
peer groups, friendship and social networks
and the importance attached to them.

19. Community resources
• Describes all facilities and services in a
neighbourhood, including universal services of
primary health care, day care and schools,
places of worship, transport, shops and leisure
activities.
• Includes availability, accessibility and standard
of resources and impact on the family,
including disabled members.

20. Conclusions
• Attributing ‘causality’ such as ‘blame’ and
‘fault’ is problematic with reference to human
behaviour.
• Ecological theories might help us explain how
the environment influences our behaviour.
(and how we influence the environment).
• When assessing ‘risks’ to children we must
necessarily consider their environment.

21. Conclusions Continued
• The environment can have negative impact
upon a child’s development: 2 key factors are
income(housing) and social exclusion.
• The ‘Assessment Framework’ (Family &
Environmental Factors) can assist practitioners
in evaluating a child’s development and risk
factors in a systematic manner.