Examining the Effects of the Positive Child Care Program In Early Childhood Education Environments: A randomized control trial

While there are a variety of programs and techniques that have been developed to support and address challenges with children’s behaviour in early learning and care settings, few studies have focused on the effectiveness and implementation of such approaches with fidelity. This study examines The Positive Child Care Program (PCCP) in order to inform program development. Participants in this study included 96 Early Childhood Educators and 12 Directors from 12 child care centres in Alberta, Canada. Findings indicate that PCCP has the potential to dramatically improve quality social and emotional experiences for both children and adults in early learning environments. This study also provides meaningful insights for understanding implementation of such program supports in early childhood settings

Spanking of young children: Do immigrant and U.S. born Hispanic parents differ?

Building on prior research showing fewer parenting risk behaviors and lower levels of harsh punishment among less acculturated Hispanic parents, we tested the hypothesis that foreign-born (FB; immigrant) Hispanic parents use less spanking toward children at 3 years and 5 years of age than U.S.- born Hispanic parents. We also examined whether other indicators of acculturation—endorsement of traditional gender norms and religiosity— showed any direct or indirect effects in explaining the hypothesized association. Path model analyses were conducted with a sample of Hispanic mothers (n = 1,089) and fathers (n = 650). Cross-sectional and time lagged path models controlling for a wide range of psychosocial and demographic confounds indicated that, when compared with U.S.-born Hispanic parents, FB Hispanic mothers and fathers used less spanking toward their young children. In cross-sectional analysis only, mothers’ greater endorsement of traditional gender norms had small protective effects on spanking. Although fathers’ endorsement of traditional gender norms was not a significant direct predictor of spanking, there was a significant indirect effect of nativity status on spanking mediated by endorsement of traditional gender norms. Religiosity showed no relation to spanking for either mothers or fathers. Immigrant status may be an important protective factor that is associated with lower levels of parenting aggression among Hispanic mothers and fathers living in the United States.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111065/1/2015 Lee Altschul JIV Hispanic parents.pdfDescription of 2015 Lee Altschul JIV Hispanic parents.pdf : Main articl

Impact of a STEM Living Learning Community on First-Year Science and Technology Students' Success at a Historically Black College and University

Student retention and lack of encouragement are post-secondary institutional barriers that play a critical part in why African Americans are represented in small numbers in STEM (National Science Foundation, 2017). Historical Black Colleges and Universities have always promoted a supportive learning atmosphere for African American students. Living learning communities were created to improve academic outcomes and encourage social engagement. The findings of this study suggest that an LLC at an HBCU plays an integral role in sustaining programmatic retention for STEM majors and improving the academic and social outcomes of first-year science and technology students.  Keywords: (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Living Learning Community (LLC), Historical Black Colleges and University (HBCU), Academic Success, Retention, Student Engagement

Using technology in social work practice: The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) case study

Mobile technology presents an exciting opportunity for social workers to reach populations that are typically underserved by interventions and services. We present one application of technology that is particularly relevant to social work practice. The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) app was developed to augment existing social work practices by providing a father-friendly tool to help new fathers learn about and engage with their infants and toddlers. We discuss the process of developing the app content and conducting usability testing of the mDad app. We conclude with a discussion of the lessons learned from the mDad project, and the challenges of implementation and dissemination of technology-based interventions in community contexts.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115875/1/2015_Lee_and_Walsh_Using_Technology_in_Social_Work.pdfDescription of 2015_Lee_and_Walsh_Using_Technology_in_Social_Work.pdf : Main Articl

Racial inequality and the implementation of emergency management laws in economically distressed urban areas

This study examines the use of emergency management laws as a policy response to fiscal emergencies in urban areas. Focusing on one Midwestern Rust Belt state, we use a mixed methods approach – integrating chronology of legislative history, analysis of Census data, and an ethnographic case study – to examine the dynamics of emergency management laws from a social justice perspective. Analysis of Census data showed that emergency management policies disproportionately affected African Americans and poor families. Analysis indicated that in one state, 51% of African American residents and 16.6% of Hispanic or Latinos residents had lived in cities that were under the governance of an emergency manager at some time during 2008–2013, whereas only 2.4% of the White population similarly had lived in cities under emergency management. An ethnographic case study highlights the mechanisms by which an emergency manager hindered the ability of residents in one urban neighborhood, expected to host a large public works project, to obtain a Community Benefits Agreement intended to provide assistance to residents, most of whom were poor families with young children. We conclude with a discussion of how emergency management laws may impact social service practice and policy practice in urban communities, framed from a social justice perspective. We argue that these are not race neutral policies, given clear evidence of race and ethnic disparities in their implementation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134061/1/2016 Lee et al emergency management.pdfDescription of 2016 Lee et al emergency management.pdf : main articl

Wait until your father gets home? Mother's and fathers’ spanking and development of child aggression

This study examined whether fathers’ and mothers’ spanking contributed to development of child aggression in the first 5 years of life. We selected parents (N =1,298) who were married or cohabiting across all waves of data collection. Cross-lagged path models examined fathers’, mothers’, and both parents’ within-time and longitudinal associations between spanking and child aggression when the child was 1, 3, and 5 years of age. Results indicated that mothers spanked more than fathers. When examining fathers only, fathers’ spanking was not associated with subsequent child aggression. When examining both parents concurrently, only mothers’ spanking was predictive of subsequent child aggression. We found no evidence of multiplicative effects when testing interactions examining whether frequent spanking by either fathers or mothers was predictive of increases in children’s aggression. This study suggests that the processes linking spanking to child aggression differ for mothers and fathers.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111064/1/2015 Lee Altschul Gershoff CYSR.pdfDescription of 2015 Lee Altschul Gershoff CYSR.pdf : Main articl

Hugs, not hits: Warmth and spanking as predictors of child social competence

Many parents believe that spanking is an effective way to promote children's positive behavior, yet few studies have examined spanking and the development of social competence. Using information from 3,279 families with young children who participated in a longitudinal study of urban families, this study tested competing hypotheses regarding whether maternal spanking or maternal warmth predicted increased social competence and decreased child aggression over time and which parent behavior was a stronger predictor of these changes. The frequency of maternal spanking was unrelated to maternal warmth. Findings from cross-lagged path models indicated that spanking was not associated with children's social competence, but spanking predicted increases in child aggression. Conversely, maternal warmth predicted children's greater social competence but was not associated with aggression. Warmth was a significantly stronger predictor of children's social competence than spanking, suggesting that warmth may be a more effective way to promote children's social competence than spanking.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/120572/1/2016 Altschul Lee Gershoff JMF.pd

Lessons and Policy Implications from the Flint Water Crisis

The results of the Flint water crisis were disastrous. Permanent damage has been done to Flint’s most vulnerable residents, the city’s water system, and residents’ trust in government institutions. This policy brief describes the shortcomings of Michigan’s emergency management (EM) system and informs policymakers on potential improvements for its eventual replacement. It frames the EM system within the logic and practice of urban austerity politics and demonstrates how emergency manager policies are not race-neutral approaches to solving urban financial crises. It considers what the Flint water crisis suggests about policy mechanisms that might prevent future environmental health crises, outlining the role of social workers in this process

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) needs assessment of parenting support programs for fathers

This study reports the results of a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) needs assessment of programs, services, and support systems for fathers in the City of Detroit, Michigan. The goal of this needs assessment was to assess the availability of parenting support services tomen throughmultiple perspectives. To enact a CBPR approach, the research teamcollected qualitative data through interviews with service providers and community dialogues with fathers and consulted a community advisory board for further guidance on the research efforts. The research teamengaged inmember checking to improve the accuracy and credibility of study findings. Results indicated that both service providers and fathers agreed that very fewparenting support services are available to fathers, particularly young African American fathers, and they also largely agreed in establishing priorities to address community fathers' parenting needs. Practice implications include the need for greater collaboration across service sectors and for greater outreach, possibly through technology, to young fathers.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/120570/1/2016 Lee Hoffman Harris CBPR Needs Assessment.pd