Parental separation and overnight care of young children, part II: putting theory into practice

This article is a companion piece to the empirical and theoretical perspectives on infant overnight care arrangements offered in Part I. Grounded in an integrated psycho-developmental perspective, the paper provides a set of clinical assumptions and a related chart of practical considerations, to guide decision making about infant overnight care, both in the individual case and in broader policy contexts. At all levels of decision making, we endorse the need for developmentally sensitive resolutions that protect both the vulnerabilities of early childhood and support lifelong parent–child relationships, whenever possible.