40 Developmental Assets

Building blocks that help young children

grow up healthy, caring and
responsible.




Where does the 40 Developmental
Assets framework come from?
Search Institute, located in Minnesota, has
been researching and developing assets for
40 years. It first published a list of 30
developmental assets in 1990. Further
research and refinement has led to the
current list of 40 Developmental Assets.
For more information visit: search-institute.org
What are the
Developmental Assets?
According to Search Institute:

The Developmental Assets are 40 research-based, positive
qualities that influence young peoples development, helping
them become caring, responsible, and productive adults.

Based on youth development, resiliency, and prevention
research, the Developmental Assets framework has proven to be
effective and has become the most widely used approach to
positive youth development in the United States and,
increasingly, around the world.

The framework has been adapted to be developmentally
relevant from early childhood through adolescence.
Why are they important?
According to Search Institute:

Over time, studies of more than 4 million young people
consistently show that the more assets that young people have,
the less likely they are to engage in a wide range of high-risk
behaviors and the more likely they are to thrive.

Research shows that youth with the most assets are least likely
to engage in four different patterns of high-risk behavior,
including problem alcohol use, violence, illicit drug use, and
sexual activity.

When children have higher levels of assets, they are more likely
to do well in school, be civically engaged, and value diversity.
Breaking down the assets by
categories!
First four categories-
External Assets:
Support
Empowerment
Boundaries and expectations
Constructive use of time

These assets revolve around forming
positive relationships, and exposing
young children to high quality
environments and activities.

These assets are built through families,
preschools, friends, neighborhoods,
congregations, and community
organizations.



Last four categories-
Internal assets:
Commitment to learning
Positive values
Social competencies
Positive identity

These are the commitments,
passions, and values you as a
parent want to instill in your
children.

These assets are built through
positive modeling and teaching
and providing opportunities for
young children to develop their
character.

Lets take a closer look by breaking
down the categories!
The Support Assets:
Children grow up well when they feel
supported and cared for by their parents
and other people around them.
Assets 1-6
1. Family support
2. Positive family communication
3. Other adult relationships
4. Caring neighbors
5. Caring climate in child-care and
educational settings
6. Parent involvement in child care and
education



The Empowerment Assets:
Children who feel valued and valuable
are empowered to help others and to
develop in ways that help them
become well rounded, healthy
individuals.
Assets 7-10
7. Community cherishes and values
young children
8. Children seen as resource
9. Service to others
10. Safety



The Boundaries & Expectation Assets:
Giving children clear, appropriate
guidelines and expectations helps them
know what to expect and how to act.
Assets 11-16
11. Family boundaries
12. Boundaries in child-care and
educational settings
13. Neighborhood boundaries
14. Adult role models
15. Positive peer relationships
16.Positive expectations

The Constructive Use of Time Assets:
What children do with their time
makes a difference. Children need
developmentally appropriate and
enticing programs.
Assets 17-20
17. Play and creative activities
18. Out of home and community
programs
19. Religious community
20. Time at home

Breaking down the categories
The Commitment to Learning Assets:
Children need many opportunities to
engage in learning activities and
experiences.

Assets 21-25
21. Motivation to mastery
22. Engagement in learning experiences
23.Home-program connection
24. Bonding to programs
25. Early literacy

The Positive Values Assets:
Building character involves teaching
children important internal compasses
that guide them in making choices.

Assets 26-31
26. Caring
27. Equality and social justice
28. Integrity
29. Honesty
30. Responsibility
31. Self- regulation





Breaking down the categories (cont.)
The Social Competencies Assets:
Skills that young children need when
They encounter problems and other
Life situations. The specific skills help
Them deal with the choices,
challenges and opportunities they
face in building and maintaining
relationships with others.
Assets 32-36
32. Planning and decision making
33. Interpersonal skills
34. Cultural awareness and sensitivity
35. Resistance skills
36. Peaceful conflict resolution
The Positive Identity Assets:
A strong personal identity is more than
positive self esteem. These assets
focus on helping young children figure
out who they are, what they can do,
and who they want to become.
Assets 37-40
37. Personal power
38. Self-esteem
39. Sense of purpose
40. Positive view of personal future
Breaking down the categories
Using the Developmental Assets
Framework to Parent with a Purpose
Basic Asset Building:
If this is your first time examining the Developmental Assets,
think of the list of items as essential nutrients. While your child may not
experience EVERY asset ALL the time, you want to provide a consistent
balance of as many different nutrients as possible. When you are
intentional about giving your children these experiences, you are asset
building.

There are 40 Developmental assetsbut dont panic!

Avoid working on more than one asset at a time and avoid making too large a
change all at once.

Check out the Asset-Building Parenting Ideas on your handout


Become an Asset Building Parent
Become an asset building parent with these ideas:
Learn more about the Developmental Assets framework. Analyze the
list of the Developmental Assets for Early Childhood. Post a copy in
your home. Carry another copy around with you and periodically read it
whenever you have a free moment.
Scan the list of 40 Developmental Assets and focus on one asset that
you can begin building in your child. (However, remember that while
you may be trying to build one specific asset, youre often building
other assets at the same time.)
Periodically consult the list of 40 Developmental Assets and choose a
new asset (from another category) to use in your parenting.
Connect with other parents about what works. Compare parenting
ideas and strategies.

Parenting With a Purpose

ALL parents face challenges when parenting their children, therefore the 40
Developmental Assets provide a practical parenting framework that can help
you as a parent to be intentionalLook at them like a road map that
helps you clarify what you need to do in order to raise healthy, caring
children.








Assets: How does your child score?
You may already be building assets without
even knowing it.

Complete the Asset checklist provided in your
handouts to see how many assets your child
already has and which ones you should focus
more on.
Resources
Focus on the forty. (2010). Retrieved from http://focusontheforty.ca/?page_id=2

Roehlkepartain, J. (2006). Parenting preschoolers with a purpose: caring for your
kids and yourself. Search Institute Press.

Search institute. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.searchinstitute.org/research/
developmental-assets