Parental decision-making on summer program enrollment: A mixed methods Covid-19 impact study.
Eval Program Plann
; 97: 102200, 2023 04.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2257715
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The closure of childcare organizations (e.g. schools, childcare centers, afterschool programs, summer camps) during the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the health and wellbeing of families. Despite their reopening, parents may be reluctant to enroll their children in summer programming. Knowledge of the beliefs that underlie parental concerns will inform best practices for organizations that serve children.METHODS:
Parents (n = 17) participated in qualitative interviews (October 2020) to discuss Covid-19 risk perceptions and summer program enrollment intentions. Based on interview responses to perceived Covid-19 risk, two groups emerged for analysis- "Elevated Risk (ER)" and "Conditional Risk (CR)". Themes were identified utilizing independent coding and constant-comparison analysis. Follow-up interviews (n = 12) in the Spring of 2021 evaluated the impact of vaccine availability on parent risk perceptions. Additionally, parents (n = 17) completed the Covid-19 Impact survey to assess perceived exposure (Range 0-25) and household impact (Range 2-60) of the pandemic. Scores were summed and averaged for the sample and by risk classification group.RESULTS:
Parents overwhelmingly supported the operation of summer programming during the pandemic due to perceived child benefits. Parent willingness to enroll their children in summer programming evolved with time and was contingent upon the successful implementation of safety precautions (e.g. outdoor activities, increased handwashing/sanitizing of surfaces). Interestingly, parents indicated low exposure (ER Avg. 6.3 ± 3.1 Range [2-12], CR Avg. 7.5 ± 3.6 Range [1-14]) and moderate family impact (ER Avg. 27.1 ± 6.9 Range [20-36], CR Avg. 33.7 ± 11.4 Range [9-48]) on the impact survey.CONCLUSION:
Childcare organizations should mandate and evaluate the implementation of desired Covid-19 safety precautions for their patrons.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pandemics
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Child
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Eval Program Plann
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.evalprogplan.2022.102200
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