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Knowledge tests used to evaluate child protection training program effectiveness for early childhood education providers may suffer from threats to construct validity given the contextual variability inherent within state-specific regulations around mandated reporting requirements. Unfortunately, guidance on instrument revision that accounts for such state-specific mandated reporting requirements is lacking across research on evaluation practices. This study, therefore, explored how collection and integration of validity evidence using a mixed methods framework can guide the instrument revision process to arrive at a more valid program outcome measure.

Despite the known relationship between trauma and academic outcomes, including expulsion risk, for preschoolers, little is known about the role that teachers may play in addressing the effects of childhood trauma within preschool settings. The current study examined the relationship between a teacher's overall stress, trauma-informed attitudes, and indicators of children's expulsion decision risk using a sample of preschool lead and assistant teachers (n = 129) recruited from Head Start classrooms in the Mountain West. Multivariate multiple regression was used to determine whether teachers stress and trauma-informed attitudes (trauma-informed knowledge, self-efficacy, and reactions) were related to three indicators of expulsion decision risk using subscales of the Preschool Expulsion Risk Measure (classroom disruption, fear of accountability, and child-related stress) for the most disruptive child in the teacher's classroom. Higher overall stress significantly predicted higher fear of accountability ([beta] = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.07, 0.45, p = 0.007). Higher trauma-informed knowledge was significantly related to lower child-related stress ([beta] = -0.40, 95% CI = -0.63, -0.17, p = 0.001). Higher trauma-informed self-efficacy was significantly related to lower classroom disruption ([beta] = -0.45, 95% CI = -0.66, -0.25, p < 0.001). Multigroup models revealed significantly different pathways for children of color (Black, Latinx, and American Indian children) compared to White children; teacher stress predicted higher expulsion decision risk for children of color and trauma-informed attitudes predicted lower expulsion decision risk for White children. Implications for development and evaluation of trauma-informed approaches for early childhood settings are discussed.

Laying a strong foundation for emotional development in children birth to 5 is of critical importance, but the extent to which this is considered following child abuse and/or neglect, foster care placement, reunification, and potential re‐entry into foster care remains unclear. Using a convergent mixed methods design, we investigated perceptions among child welfare professionals given the contributing role they could play in both initiating provider–parent dialogue and connecting families with timely resources to better support early emotional development post‐abuse/neglect. Fifty eight child welfare professionals in an urban, Northeastern County of the USA participated (73% response rate). Survey data and focus group insights shed light on satisfaction with and roadblocks to supporting foster and biological parents in promoting emotional development. A low proportion of respondents offered advice on emotional development, referred families to relevant parent education, or perceived biological or foster parents as extremely prepared. Self‐reported likelihood of providing advice to families was positively associated with access to information on emotional development, years employed, and job satisfaction. Multilevel roadblocks were identified. Results inform systems‐level, family‐centred initiatives and information sharing to better support emotional development post‐abuse and/or neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge tests used to evaluate child protection training program effectiveness for early childhood education providers may suffer from threats to construct validity given the contextual variability inherent within state-specific regulations around mandated reporting requirements. Unfortunately, guidance on instrument revision that accounts for such state-specific mandated reporting requirements is lacking across research on evaluation practices. This study, therefore, explored how collection and integration of validity evidence using a mixed methods framework can guide the instrument revision process to arrive at a more valid program outcome measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]