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Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between low-level depressive symptoms in mothers and teacher-reported child behavioral outcomes. Participants included 442 low-income mothers of preschool-age children who were screened for maternal depression by their child's preschool teacher. Teacher reports of child behavior problems were collected on a random sample of the children (n = 264). Of mothers screened for depression, 16.7% reported low-level depressive symptoms (below the cutoff on the screener indicating clinically elevated symptoms). Analyses revealed that children of mothers with low-level depressive symptoms had significantly greater problems with externalizing behavior compared to children of mothers with no depressive symptoms. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that children whose mothers experience even low-level depressive symptoms are at risk for problems with behavior, pointing to the need for screening and interventions to address maternal depression ...

Children of alcoholics are at risk for a wide range of negative social–emotional outcomes, including externalizing behaviors. These negative outcomes are evident as early as infancy and early childhood. The current study examined whether fathers' supportiveness can protect children from the negative effects of maternal alcohol problems on children's externalizing behavior. We used data from 514 families eligible for Early Head Start at enrollment and near the child's age 5. Mothers' symptoms of alcohol problems were associated with more externalizing problems in their young children. Likewise, father supportiveness in play was associated with fewer externalizing problems. Aggression and hyperactivity, externalizing behaviors commonly associated with maternal alcohol problems, were lessened when children's fathers were sensitive and supportive in play. Our findings highlight the importance of engaging fathers when mothers are identified as having an alcohol problem.

Fathers play an important role in child development, particularly with respect to children's academic skills. Yet relatively little is known about the nature of fathers' teaching interactions with their young children that would produce such effects. The purpose of the current study was to understand the contribution that fathers' teaching interactions make to their children's academic skills over time. Interactions between 109 fathers and their children in low-income families were observed in the home during a novel teaching situation at ages 2 and 3. Controlling for family and child characteristics and maternal behaviors, father behaviors at age 2, but not age 3, were significantly associated with children's: receptive vocabularies at ages 5, 7, and 10; math skills at ages 5 and 7; and reading skills at age 5. Fathers' support of their children's emotion and behavior regulation may contribute to long-term influences on children's academic skills.

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between preschool children's social outcomes in the classroom (including hyperactivity, aggression, and social skills) and their media viewing habits (including the amount of television they watch and whether they watch videos/movies that are rated as inappropriate for young children). The participants were 92 low-income pre-kindergarten-age children for whom we obtained parent reports of media viewing habits and teacher reports of classroom behavior. The results suggested that viewing of inappropriate content was associated with higher hyperactivity and aggression scores and a lower social skills rating, whereas the amount of viewing was not related to these classroom outcomes. Policy: There has been a great deal of focus on how both the amount and content of television viewed affects social development in middle and later childhood. These studies have helped influence the development of guidelines for parents of young children ...

This study examines the usefulness of a screening process implemented in the context of a Head Start home visit and compares families who screened positive for substance abuse with those who did not on an array of child and family indicators important for healthy child development. The sample included 1,105 low-income families with preschool-age children enrolled in Head Start programs. Families were interviewed using the Family Map, an interview tool used to screen on a wide range of areas important for healthy child development. Children identified as having a positive screen for family problems with alcohol and other drugs (9.1%) were more likely to be at risk on 10 of 11 additional areas assessed.

This article reviews the findings from our assessments of children and their families in two Head Start programs using the Family Map. Specifically, we used the Family Map assessment tool to identify risks to children associated with alcohol and drug use in families with young children. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators about the importance of identifying such risks to children. Understanding specific risks and knowing how to address them are keys to providing the best outcomes for the children in such families.

Research Findings: Family conflict is known to be associated with poor development for young children, but many children appear resilient. This study examined the extent to which high-quality center care during early childhood protects children from these negative consequences. Children participating in center-based sites of the Early Head Start (EHS) Research and Evaluation study were grouped based on their treatment status: 305 children receiving EHS services, and 305 children not receiving EHS services. Family conflict was positively associated with aggressive behavior as reported by parents for children at 3 and 5 years of age for comparison children but not for children in EHS center-based programs. However, moderation impacts were not observed for objective ratings of child negativity to parent in semistructured interactions. Practice or Policy: These findings may suggest that attending lesser quality child care and living in a family characterized by conflict is associated with heightened aggressiv...

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examines psychometric properties of 2 scales of the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form (PSI—SF) in a sample of preschool children from low-income families. Design. The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Parental Distress and Parent—Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscales were assessed for 1122 Early Head Start parents of 15 (n = 959), 25 (n = 899), and 37-month-old (n = 845) children in a multisite study. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) compared the fit of 2-factor scales that are recommended by the developer with theoretically derived 5-factor scales. Results. CFA indicated that the 5-factor scales fit the data better than the 2-factor scales. Both 2 and 5-factor scales had high internal consistency, and the pattern of relations between the new scales and validity constructs support their usefulness. Conclusions. The PSI—SF scales can be helpful in clinical applications because the proposed scales clarify relations between parent and child outcomes and s...

Objective. We examined the relation between neighborhood violence and father antisocial behavior with a national sample of fathers from low-income families with 3-year-old children Design. Children were classified into 4 groups based on their exposure to father antisocial behavior and neighborhood violence. Results. Children who experience high levels of each performed more poorly on indicators of emotion regulation. Children in risk groups were exposed to higher levels of family conflict, father depression, and poorer internal and external physical environments than children who were in the low-risk group. Children with fathers who were not antisocial were 3 times more likely to be spanked when the father resided in a high-risk neighborhood. Conclusions. Fathers should be included in early prevention programs targeting families with very young children, and such programs simultaneously challenged to broaden into community networks.