Meeting the Mandate for Delivering Comprehensive Services for Families: Early Head Start Supports and Outcomes

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Research demonstrates that Early Head Start (EHS), a comprehensive, two-generation program for families in poverty, has positive effects on children’s development and improves parenting skills (e.g., Love et al., 2005). Yet, less is known about the specific supports employed, particularly for the families with differing needs, and how these supports relate to child and family outcomes, which vary across EHS participants (Vogel et al., 2015).

This symposium employs data from EHS programs from across the U.S. and focuses on the supports offered and outcomes experienced by diverse children, families, and teachers. Paper 1 uses the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education to compare EHS to other center-based programs based on workforce-, classroom-, and program-level predictors of quality, finding a more educated workforce and more program-level supports for families and staff in EHS. Paper 2 examines the effectiveness of the online Family Map Inventories (FMI)- Adverse Child Experiences (ACEs) across 9 programs in 7 states, finding that it is an effective tool for EHS program efforts to reduce exposure to ACEs-related risks. Paper 3 identifies profiles of EHS family functioning and evaluates profiles’ relationship with children’s social-emotional outcomes, finding that children with parents in the lower stress profile show more optimal social-emotional outcomes. Paper 4 examines the association between teacher-family relationship quality and toddlers’ outcomes, finding teacher-family relationship quality is positively related children’s expressive language and social-emotional competence. Taken together, these results highlight the effectiveness of strategies employed by EHS programs in supporting family and child development.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Gerilyn Slicker, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Individual Presentations

• Workforce and Program Features of Quality: How does Early Head Start Compare to other Programs? - Presenting Author: Gerilyn Slicker, University of Nevada Las Vegas; Non-Presenting Author: Jing Tang, Child Trends -Maryland; Non-Presenting Author: Cara Lynn Kelly, University of Delaware

• Using the Family Map Inventories to Individualize a Response to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) - Presenting Author: Leanne Whiteside-Mansell, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS); Non-Presenting Author: Lorraine M McKelvey, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Non-Presenting Author: Kanna Lewis, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

• Profiles of Family Functioning and Stress as a Predictor of Early Head Start Children’s Social-Emotional Outcomes - Presenting Author: Alison Hooper, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; Non-Presenting Author: Jason T Hustedt, University of Delaware; Non-Presenting Author: Gerilyn Slicker, University of Nevada Las Vegas

• Teacher-Family Relationship Quality and Toddler’s Social-Emotional and Language Outcomes within Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships - Presenting Author: Johayra Bouza, University of Miami; Non-Presenting Author: Veronica A. Fernandez, University of Miami; Non-Presenting Author: Rebecca J. Bulotsky Shearer, University of Miami; Non-Presenting Author: Claudia Perez, University of Miami; Non-Presenting Author: Dorothy Sanchez, University of Miami; Non-Presenting Author: Daryl B Greenfield, University of Miami