Research shows relationships fuel early brain development and provide the foundation for lifelong health and success. Yet we also know that parenting a very young child places enormous physical and emotional demands on adults. Some families may not have what they need, or know where to turn for support if they want it, even when it is within reach…

Home-visit parenting programmes have been linked to positive developmental outcomes among participating children, yet few studies have explored the mechanisms behind this impact. We observe 40 home visits across seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, using an observational tool to assess visit content, coaching strategy, and the…

Early Head Start (EHS) is an evidence-based, federally funded, and community-based program with a two-generation approach to child development for children under age 3 and pregnant women in poverty. The mission of EHS is to support healthy prenatal outcomes; enhance the intellectual, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers; and…

The PLAY Project Home Consultation (PPHC) program trains parents of children with autistic spectrum disorders using the DIR/Floortime model of Stanley Greenspan MD. Sixty-eight children completed the 8-12 month program. Parents were encouraged to deliver 15 hours per week of 1:1 interaction. Pre/post ratings of videotapes by blind raters using the…

In 1986, the Ounce of Prevention Fund undertook an ambitious project: creating and operating a family support program for young families with infants and toddlers in the Robert Taylor Homes public housing development in Chicago. The program was the outreach function of the Center for Successful Child Development (CSCD). The CSCD, a comprehensive,…

The proceedings of the First National Home Start Conference are presented, based on reports of the sessions and activities of the meeting which was aimed at strengthening and supplementing child development in the home. Topics discussed include parent education, toy lending libraries, use of television, contributions of Head Start, early reading,…

The Transactional Intervention Program was designed to modify interaction patterns between parents and their handicapped children, aged zero to three, in a home-based intervention program. Results of program implementation with 41 children showed decreases in parents' interactional dominance and frequency of directives, increases in…

The study, involving 15 autistic children (2-7 years old) and their families investigated the short term effects of a treatment model in which parents are trained as co-therapists in teaching developmental skills and behavior management. Literature was reviewed on models for treatment of autism, studies of treatment efficacy with autism, and…

Written from a multidisciplinary perspective, this handbook for home visitors provides functional, field test guidance techniques for working with parents and children from birth to 5 years. The guide offers techniques to enhance children's development in conjunction with educating and supporting families. Firsthand account of home visits…

This 4-year longitudinal study compared characteristics of different day care contexts and the home environment of young children in Turkey and their effects on child outcomes. Findings indicated that custodial and educational day care differed in quality. Short- and long-term child outcomes suggested that educational settings supported child…

This practice/policy brief focuses on early childhood home visiting as a place-based family strengthening strategy that supports parent/caregivers as a key influence on the lives of young children. ("Place-based family strengthening" means that "children do better when their families are strong, and families do better when they live in communities…

The paper presents the results of an evaluation research that studied the impact of a nationwide home intervention program, the Mother-Child Education Program, on both children and mothers immediately after the termination of the program and at the end of the children's first year of formal schooling. A pre/post control group quasiexperimental…

Findings, conclusions, and recommendations concerning the role of the Federal Government in providing day care services are presented in this Summary Report, Part I of the Final Report. The six chapters of the report are as follows: 1. Statement of the Problem--identifies the social context in which day care and child development programs must be…

Overview: A recent evaluation of children who had participated in the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP) as toddlers found that at kindergarten age, these children were performing at levels expected for their age, despite the fact that they had multiple factors putting them at risk for school failure. The Study: In the winter and spring of 2002, 135…