Title

Involvement in Early Head Start Home Visiting Services: Demographic Predictors and Relations to Child and Parent Outcomes

Date

2006

Author(s)

Helen Raikes, Beth L. Green, Jane Atwater, Ellen Kisker, Jill Constantine, and Rachel Chazan-Cohen

Brief Type

Journal Publication

Model(s)

  • Early Head Start Home-Based Option

Description

One strand of home visiting research investigates efficacy while another investigates under what conditions programs achieve outcomes. The current study follows the latter approach. Using a within-program design in a sample of 11 home-based sites in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation study, this study found that three components of home visits (quantity of involvement including number of home visits, duration in the program, length of visits and intensity of service; quality of engagement including global ratings of engagement by staff and ratings of engagement during each home visit; and the extent to which home visits were child focused) represented distinguishable aspects of home visit services. Demographic variables predicted components of involvement, and home visit involvement components were differentially related to outcomes at 36 months, after controlling for demographic/family factors and earlier functioning on the same measure. Only one quantity of involvement variable (duration) predicted improvements in home language and literacy environments at 36 months. Quality of involvement variables were negative predictors of maternal depressive symptoms at 36 months. Finally, the proportion of time during the visit devoted to child-focused activities predicted children’s cognitive and language development scores, parent HOME scores, and parental support for language and learning when children were 36 months of age. Implications for home visiting programs and policies are discussed. (author abstract)

Data Collection Methods

  • Interviews
  • Program administrative record reviews
  • Standardized assessment tools

Status

Finished

For More Information

Raikes, H., Green, B. L., Atwater, J., Kisker, E., Constantine, J., & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2006). Involvement in Early Head Start home visiting services: Demographic predictors and relations to child and parent outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly21(1), 2-24. Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=famconfacpub

Topics

  • Participant Characteristics
  • Participant, Family, and Program Outcomes
  • Program Quality, Continuous Quality Improvement, and Fidelity