The 15-Point Checklist for Resilience is a free, evidence-based printable resource developed from the International Resilience Project by Edith Grotberg (1997). Designed to assess and promote emotional resilience in children, this tool helps professionals, carers, and educators identify the strengths and protective factors that support a child’s ability to cope with adversity.
Each of the 15 items highlights key resilience-building areas, such as:
Secure relationships and trusted support networks
Self-confidence and emotional regulation
Hopefulness and belief in a positive future
Engagement in goal-setting, problem-solving, and achievement
Positive identity and a sense of purpose
This tool can be used as part of a wider resilience assessment, to inform early intervention, and to guide strength-based planning in work with vulnerable children, including those experiencing family breakdown, trauma, mental health issues, or social disadvantage.
Ideal for:
Social workers, counsellors, and mental health practitioners
School staff, pastoral care teams, and SEND professionals
Foster carers and those supporting children in care
Youth workers, family support staff, and therapists
Use this checklist in:
Direct work sessions
Strengths-based assessments
Case planning
Wellbeing reviews
