Dataset Information

Parent Engagement in a Head Start Home Visiting Program Predicts Sustained Growth in Children's School Readiness.

ABSTRACT: This study examined three components of parent engagement in an enriched Head Start home visiting program: intervention attendance, the working alliance between parents and home visitors, and parents' use of program materials between sessions. The study identified those family and child characteristics that predicted the different components of parent engagement, and the study tested whether those components predicted sustained growth in children's school readiness skills across four years, from preschool through second grade. Ninety-five low-income parents with four year-old children attending Head Start (56% white; 26% black; 20% Latino; 44% girls) were randomly assigned to receive the home visiting program. Assessments included home visitor, parent, and teacher ratings, as well as interviewer observations and direct testing of children; data analyses relied on correlations and hierarchical multiple regression equations. Results showed that baseline family characteristics, like warm parent-child interactions, and child functioning predicted both working alliance and use of program materials, but only race/ethnicity predicted intervention attendance. The use of program materials was the strongest predictor of growth in children's literacy skills and social adjustment at home during the intervention period itself. In contrast, working alliance emerged as the strongest predictor of growth in children's language arts skills, attention skills, and social adjustment at school through second grade, two years after the end of the home visiting intervention. To maximize intervention effectiveness across school readiness domains over time, home visiting programs need to support multiple components of parent engagement, particularly working alliance and the use of program materials between sessions.

SUBMITTER: Nix RL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6430128 | biostudies-literature | 2018 4th Quarter

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Parent Engagement in a Head Start Home Visiting Program Predicts Sustained Growth in Children's School Readiness.

Nix Robert L RL Bierman Karen L KL Motamedi Mojdeh M Heinrichs Brenda S BS Gill Sukhdeep S

Early childhood research quarterly 20180823

This study examined three components of parent engagement in an enriched Head Start home visiting program: intervention attendance, the working alliance between parents and home visitors, and parents' use of program materials between sessions. The study identified those family and child characteristics that predicted the different components of parent engagement, and the study tested whether those components predicted sustained growth in children's school readiness skills across four years, from ...[more]

PMID: 30911204

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Project description:ImportanceHome visiting programs targeting the school readiness of preschool children (age range, 4-5 years) show promise in short-term and quasi-experimental studies but rarely are evaluated with rigorous designs and follow-up assessments.ObjectivesTo examine the sustained effects of a preschool home visiting program on child and family competencies and on child need for services 4 years later.Design, setting, and participantsIn a randomized clinical trial, individual families with preschool children were assigned to receive the Research-Based and Developmentally Informed-Parent home visiting program (REDI-P) (intervention group) or math home learning games in the mail (control group). Follow-up assessments occurred in third grade. Families were recruited from 24 Head Start centers in 3 Pennsylvania counties serving rural and urban areas. Four-year-old children from 200 low-income families participated. Families were recruited in fall 2008 and fall 2009. The follow-up data used were collected in spring 2013 and spring 2014. The analyses were conducted in 2016 to 2017.InterventionsREDI-P visits followed a well-specified curriculum, with 10 home visits during preschool and 6 booster visits in kindergarten. Parents received coaching to enhance parent-child relationships and home learning materials to support child development and school readiness.Main outcomes and measuresIntervention focused on boosting competencies in academic performance and social-emotional adjustment and reducing child problems at home. Direct assessments, teacher ratings, and parent reports were collected. In addition, third-grade teachers recorded all services that children needed and received at school.ResultsTwo hundred participating children (110 [55.0%] white, 52 [26.0%] black, and 38 [19.0%] Latino; 112 [56.0%] male) had a mean (SD) age of 4.45 (0.29) years at the start of intervention. Third-grade outcomes were available for 153 (76.5%) of the initial sample and revealed statistically significant effects on multiple measures in each competency domain. In addition, REDI-P reduced child need for educational and mental health services at school. Significant effect sizes were small to moderate, averaging approximately one-third of 1 SD (Cohen d = 0.27 to 0.45). Mediation models demonstrated that intervention effects on services were accounted for by intervention effects on the targeted competencies.Conclusions and relevanceREDI-P produced sustained benefits evident 4 years after intervention, significantly reducing child need for school services. The results of this study appear to validate the value of preschool home visiting as a strategy to help close the gap in school readiness and child well-being associated with poverty.

Project description:ImportanceAsthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, with Black children experiencing worse morbidity and mortality. It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of efficacious interventions in community settings that have the greatest likelihood of serving at-risk families.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a multilevel home- and school (Head Start)-based asthma educational program compared with a Head Start-based asthma educational program alone in improving asthma outcomes in children.Design, setting, and participantThis randomized clinical trial included 398 children with asthma enrolled in Head Start preschool programs in Baltimore, Maryland, and their primary caregivers. Participants were recruited from April 1, 2011, to November 31, 2016, with final data collection ending December 31, 2017. Data were analyzed from March 18 to August 30, 2018.InterventionsAsthma Basic Care (ABC) family education combined with Head Start asthma education compared with Head Start asthma education alone.Main outcomes and measuresAsthma control as measured by the Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) score.ResultsAmong the 398 children included in the analysis (247 boys [62.1%]; mean [SD] age, 4.2 [0.7] years), the ABC plus Head Start program improved asthma control (β = 6.26; 95% CI, 1.77 to 10.75; P < .001), reduced courses of oral corticosteroids (β = -0.61; 95% CI, -1.13 to -0.09; P = .02), and reduced hospitalizations (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.21-0.61; P < .001) during a 12-month period.Conclusion and relevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, combined family and preschool asthma educational interventions improved asthma control and reduced courses of oral corticosteroids and hospitalizations. Multilevel interventions implemented in community settings that serve low-income minority families may be key to reducing disparities in asthma outcomes.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01519453.

Dataset Information

Parent Engagement in a Head Start Home Visiting Program Predicts Sustained Growth in Children's School Readiness.

Publications

Parent Engagement in a Head Start Home Visiting Program Predicts Sustained Growth in Children's School Readiness.

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