Longitudinal Analysis of the Interplay Between Child Care and Home Environments on the Development of Early Head Start Children

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Impact of Environments on Development (Table 12)

Abstract

This study investigates the longitudinal effects of child care quality (CCQ) and home learning environments (HLE) on the cognitive and social-emotional development of low-income children over their first five years. Using Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) data (N=482), findings show HLE at 14 months predicts achievements in cognitive and social-emotional domains, with its evolution being a strong cognitive predictor. While CCQ and its changes do not directly correlate with outcomes, its interaction with evolving HLE significantly enhances cognitive growth. This effect is more pronounced as the cognitive development gap widens for children from high-quality HLEs, especially when combined with high CCQ. The study underscores the importance of enriching both home and child care environments for optimal development.

Author

• Yijie Wang, University of Washington