Abstract
Problem:
The efficacy of early childhood education, with specific reference to preschool for three and four year olds, is well-documented. However, as one of the few developed nations that does not provide universal preschool access, millions of young children in America are unable to benefit from this essential experience because they lack access to publicly funded preschool and cannot afford to pay for preschool themselves. As a result, many of these children lack the stimulation, socialization, and early academic exposure that prepare them both for school and life success. The proposed project addresses this problem through provision of a parent/caregiver, teacher/staff education program and use of the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), developmental service coordination for children identified with specific needs, and connections to family support resources, including a medical home, health insurance, and basic needs resources.
Goals and objectives:
The project goal is to improve developmental outcomes and long-term health and well-being for low-income children through provision of education and resource access to their parents, in conjunction with community partners. The project's process objectives include: provision of parent/caregiver workshops to a minimum of 250 parents and 50 educators/non-profit staff annually; 100 parents'/caregivers' completion of one or both ASQs annually; referral of all children identified with potential developmental needs to a pediatrician; and provision of additional referrals to child developmental service agencies and supportive resources internally and/or externally, including to VCC home visiting programs. The prime outcome objectives include an increase in parent/caregiver and teacher/staff child development knowledge regarding children's developmental needs and actions to facilitate development at home and in group environments; and self-reported changes in parenting and child behavior based on follow-up of those parents whose children had ASQ-related findings.
Methodology:
The core project activity is the provision of a workshop series based on the Positive Discipline curriculum in community venues, including schools, other child-serving entities, and community centers in Oceanside and Vista. Parents will be offered the opportunity to complete the ASQ instruments and will receive appropriate referrals, including those to a pediatrician, developmental services, and social services.
Coordination:
A Parent Coach (PC) will coordinate the workshops, administer the ASQs, make referrals, and engage in follow-up. The PC will report to a Program Manager responsible for coordinating VCC's maternal and child health activities within VCC's Health Promotion Center.
Evaluation:
Evaluation will include administration of a post-test to parents and teachers/staff to measure changes in knowledge; follow-up interviews with parents completing ASQs; tracking of referral outcomes; tracking of families acquiring insurance and/or establishing a medical home.