A child's sense of connection and safety is easily broken. With infants and young children, a parent turning away to wash his hands or do the dishes is sometimes enough to break a child's sense that all is well.

A child becomes afraid when circumstances beyond her control, or circumstances she doesn't understand, rock her fragile sense of safety. The process of development, birth, and growth in the first vulnerable years presents many moments when a child's sense of safety is challenged.

Since the ground-breaking studies in attachment by Dr. John Bowlby in the 1950’s, there has been increasing recognition that babies need frequent physical closeness, prompt responsiveness, and continuity of carers.