Hanging Tough: Continued Support of Disadvantaged Children's Early Childhood Development

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Comparative Perspectives on Scaling Early Childhood

Abstract

Making a child’s life opportunities independent from its family background remains an unresolved policy issue. We not only suggest an early onset of intervention but also linking programs proven effective, thus building an intervention chain which fosters early childhood development of children from disadvantaged families. Implementing an intervention chain that starts during pregnancy and lasts until after school entry requires engaging a range of stakeholders; our primary collaborator is city hall staff of a major German city. With a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and a multi-method approach, we assess the cumulative effects of such an approach of continuous support on children’s cognitive and socio-emotional development. Results will have the potential to inform public policy and provide valuable insights for comparable communities.

Authors

• Kerstin Schütte, IPN – Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education

• Olaf Koeller, Leibniz Institute for Science and Math Education