Mothering and postpartum social network supports

The effects of social network supports on mothering outcomes were examined in a sample of 42 primiparous mothers of four-month-old, fullterm, healthy infants. Social network supports were derived from a social network model. Measures were the Perceived Support Questionnaire; Perceptions of Motherhood Questionnaire; Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment, Maternal Emotional and Verbal Responsiveness Scale; Synchrony analysis of ten minutes of videotaping of the infant-mother interaction during feeding, and structured interview. One-way analyses of variance showed that mothers who had large support networks; those who had access to frequently contacted, proximal support; those who perceived themselves to be supported in dyadic relations, and those who were involved in their communities had significantly more positive perceptions of the transition to motherhood than mothers lacking these supports. However, only community involvement showed a positive effect on perceived competency. Mothers who were involved in their communities and those who had access to support reported significantly less postpartum depression and sense of isolation than mothers lacking community involvement and accessible support. Analyses of behavioral data showed that mothers who had access to support and supportive dyadic relations, compared to those for whom support was inaccessible or for whom relationships were nonsupportive, had significantly higher Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment, Maternal Emotional and Verbal Responsiveness scores and higher synchrony scores. The former scores also varied significantly as a function of the mother\u27s involvement in the community. There were negative effects on several perceptions of motherhood (but not on interaction behaviors) for education and for female sex of child, but there were no meaningful effects for breast vs. bottle feeding, mother\u27s age or mother\u27s income. Pearson Product Moment coefficients of correlation showed that perceptions of motherhood tended to be significantly correlated with one another but that they were less frequently and less highly correlated with interaction behaviors. Network supports tended to be significantly associated with one another but in varying degrees. The results suggest social ecological factors, in general, and network factors, specifically, need to be considered in accounting for early mothering outcomes. The results also have implications for the design of effective postpartum support systems

Preschool-Age, Low-Income, Hispanic Children; Relations Between Parent-Child Interactions and Child Language Development in English and Spanish

Research Questions • What is the relation between parent HOME language and literacy stimulation and Spanish-speaking children’s language development in Spanish and English? • What is the relation between parental behaviors during bookreading with their children and Spanish-speaking children’s language development in Spanish and English

Effects of parent child interaction and language stimulation on children\u27s language development

Research Questions: Does parent positive regard relate to a child’s receptive language development? Does language stimulation relate to a child’s receptive language development? Does parent bookreading behavior (reading fluency, reading intonation/animation, comfort level, and child involvement) relate to a child’s receptive language development? Measures: Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4) HOME Language and Literacy Scale Video Codes from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care Results: Positive regard was not significantly related to the PLS-5 or the PPVT-4. The HOME Language and Literacy Scale was a significant predictor of the PPVT-4 and was related to the PLS-5 at a trend level. The bookreading variable of observed parent comfort was a significant predictor of PPVT-4 scores. The bookreading variable of observed child involvement was a significant predictor of PPVT-4 scores and was related to PLS-5 scores on a trend level. Discussion:The quality and quantity of stimulation support of a child at home along with parents involving their children during reading time significantly relates to a child’s language development. Comfort and child involvement are good predictors of language development because the child is exposed to reading and being comfortable reading at an early age

Effects of parent child interaction and language stimulation on children\u27s language development

Research Questions: Does parent positive regard relate to a child’s receptive language development? Does language stimulation relate to a child’s receptive language development? Does parent bookreading behavior (reading fluency, reading intonation/animation, comfort level, and child involvement) relate to a child’s receptive language development? Measures: Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4) HOME Language and Literacy Scale Video Codes from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care Results: Positive regard was not significantly related to the PLS-5 or the PPVT-4. The HOME Language and Literacy Scale was a significant predictor of the PPVT-4 and was related to the PLS-5 at a trend level. The bookreading variable of observed parent comfort was a significant predictor of PPVT-4 scores. The bookreading variable of observed child involvement was a significant predictor of PPVT-4 scores and was related to PLS-5 scores on a trend level. Discussion:The quality and quantity of stimulation support of a child at home along with parents involving their children during reading time significantly relates to a child’s language development. Comfort and child involvement are good predictors of language development because the child is exposed to reading and being comfortable reading at an early age

Preschool-Age, Low-Income, Hispanic Children; Relations Between Parent-Child Interactions and Child Language Development in English and Spanish

Research Questions • What is the relation between parent HOME language and literacy stimulation and Spanish-speaking children’s language development in Spanish and English? • What is the relation between parental behaviors during bookreading with their children and Spanish-speaking children’s language development in Spanish and English

Child Care Characteristics and Quality in Nebraska

The Midwest Child Care Research Consortium conducted a study of child care quality and characteristics of the child care work force in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri to help states establish a baseline for tracking quality over time, following initiatives, policy and other changes. The measures are not based on Nebraska child care licensing standards. Rather, using research-based measures of quality, they assess the extent to which quality indicators are present among the child care settings and in the work force. The current study included a random telephone survey of 2022 Midwestern child care providers (508 from Nebraska), conducted during late spring and summer of 2001 by the Gallup Organization, and follow-up in-depth observations of 365 providers (85 from Nebraska), conducted by four Midwestern state universities. Key findings from the study are as follows: 1. In Nebraska, as is true across the Midwestern states, a majority of providers regard child care as their profession, have been providing child care for over five years and intend to stay in the field. This is despite low, fulltime earnings (averaging $14,700 a year in Nebraska), which, for many providers, is below poverty level. 2. Using well-respected measures of quality, the researchers found that child care quality in Nebraska is comparable to that of Midwestern neighbors Missouri and Kansas and to child care nationwide; 34% of care observed was “good” quality; 48% was rated as minimal or mediocre quality and 18% was rated poor quality. Center-based infant/toddler, center-based preschool and licensed family child care were comparable to one another in quality and to similar care of Midwestern neighbors, while license exempt (approved) care averaged lower quality than other types of care in Nebraska. Other studies have shown that good quality on the measure used in the Midwest study predicts positive school readiness outcomes for children, and poor quality predicts poorer outcomes for children, especially for children in poverty. 3. A number of training, education, accreditation and workplace efforts were associated with higher quality including: Heads Up! Reading (in Nebraska preschool center-based settings); employee benefits such as health care (in center-based settings); the Child Development Associate Credential; participating in the USDA Food Program; first aid training; higher levels of education; entering into partnership with a Head Start or Early Head Start program; completing a nationally recognized accreditation in early childhood education; following a curriculum; and completing more than 24 hours of training in the previous year. Nebraska led the Midwest in the percentage of providers who had completed CPR and first aid training. 4. The study identified ways that Nebraska can improve child care quality. Two of these are to improve pre-literacy environments and to provide incentives to improve quality to providers who serve children receiving child care subsidies. First, Nebraska child care was deficient in preliteracy environments. Following the current national emphasis on preliteracy skills (reading to children, helping them understand and appreciate print media, and encouraging expression), pre-literacy environments are likely to be emphasized in upcoming child care block grant and Head Start reauthorizations in 2003. Few infant/toddler providers were observed reading to children; many family home providers lacked materials to encourage verbal expression. While preschool center-based providers had more books available, many scored only at a minimal level in pre-literacy activities. Second, among providers caring for children receiving subsidies, in some sectors the quality was lower when providers cared for larger portions of children receiving child care subsidies. Incentives for quality among family providers caring for children receiving subsidies are recommended to ensure that low-income children receive quality care. Nebraska and its neighbors in the Region VII of U.S. DHHS are among the first states in the nation to assess child care quality on a statewide and region wide basis. These baseline data will permit examination of changes over time in quality; for example, as a result of the new Nebraska TEACH program and other new and continuing initiatives

Using the Very Short Form of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire for Spanish-Speaking Populations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Psychometric Analysis of Dichotomized Variables

While the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Very Short Form of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ-VSF) have been assessed in the US and Europe in samples composed of middle- and high-income parents with high levels of education, no studies have tested the instrument in low-income Spanish-speaking populations living in low- and middle- income countries. To fill this gap, our cross-sectional study assessed the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CBQ-VSF version in a sample of 315 low-income and low-educated parents with preschool children living in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. While our findings revealed problems that were similar to those identified in previous assessments of the CBQ-VSF Spanish version, they also showed unique problems related to the sociodemographic characteristics of our sample, containing many individuals with a low income and low educational level. Most of the participants gave extreme responses, resulting in a notable kurtosis and skewness of the data. This article describes how we addressed these problems by dichotomizing the variables into binary categories. Additionally, it demonstrates that merely translating the CBQ-VSF is insufficient to be able to capture many of the underlying latent constructs associated with low-income and low-educated Latino/Hispanic populations

Policy Brief #1: Child Care Assets: What are 14 Key Assets of Child Care Providers that Support Quality?

In 2000, university researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, University of Kansas and the University of Missouri and state child care and early education program partners in four states (Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska) initiated the Midwest Child Care Research Consortium (MCCRC). The focus of the Consortium’s work is to conduct a multiyear study on a range of issues associated with child care quality and conditions. Across the four states, a stratified random selection of 2,022 child care providers participated in a telephone survey conducted by the Gallup Organization, representing licensed child care centers, licensed family child care homes, registered child care homes, and subsidized care license exempt family and (in one state) license exempt center care. Providers responded to questions about background and practices often associated with quality. Of the providers responding to the phone survey, 365 were randomly selected for in-depth observations to assess quality, using conventional measures of child care quality (see back of this brief). This report shows the relation between observed quality and many provider characteristics and professional improvement efforts

Nebraska Child Care Workforce and Quality: Summary Policy Brief #7

The study showed the average child care provider in Nebraska is female, married and a parent. This provider had some training or education beyond high school but not an advanced degree, was active in child care training, had a First Aid/CPR certificate, considered child care her profession or calling, had been in the child care field for over 5 years and planned to remain a provider. The average provider was observed to provide minimal quality child care. In Nebraska, using well-established observational measures of quality, center-based preschool care averaged 4.16 on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R); 4.49 on the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS); and family child care averaged 4.46 on the Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS). A “5” is considered “good” quality. There was great variability across all types of care. · Family child care quality was higher in Nebraska and Missouri than in Iowa and Kansas. · In center-based care, there were no differences between providers who cared for children receiving government child care subsidies and those who did not but in family child care there were differences. Quality, training, education and professionally-oriented attitudes were lower among subsidy-receiving family child care providers than for non-subsidy receiving counterparts. · Providers in Early Head Start/Head Start partnerships offered higher quality care and received more training than other child care providers. Nebraska like two other states invested training funds to enable Early Head Start/Head Start programs to partner with programs to follow the Head Start Performance Standards and these partnerships did appear to result in higher quality than average

Child-parent Interactions in American and Turkish Families: Examining Measurement Invariance Analysis of Child-parent Relationship Scale

The parent-child relationship is a cornerstone of early childhood development and one-way early childhood programs can have a positive influence on early development is to adopt programmatic features to enhance this relationship. Research supports these conclusions in both U.S. and cross-cultural contexts, even though assumptions about parenting and the parent-child relationship may differ across cultures. However, for true understanding of cultural differences, it is important to have comparable measures across cultures. The purpose of the study is to assess measurement invariance of the two constructs of the Child-parent Relationship Scale using data gathered in programs serving low-income preschool children in the U.S.(n = 4,450) and Turkey (n = 592) from 2014 to 2015. Using Single-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the original factor structures of the Turkish and the English versions were tested. Besides, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for configural, metric, scalar invariance, strict factorial invariance or error variance invariance and construct level invariance across the two versions. Only configural invariance was established, which showed an agreement for the existence of an underlying theoretical construct for each subscale (Conflict and Closeness) of the Turkish and the English versions. However, item CPRS 4 was a non-significant item for Conflict in the Turkish version that affected the possibility to conduct further analyses. Findings encourage researchers to propose and assess cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Child-parent Relationship Scale before cross-cultural comparisons related to family relationships