ABSTRACT
The effectiveness of a comprehensive intervention with preschool children aimed at reducing the risk of later substance abuse was examined. The intervention targeted risk factors during the preschool years linked to later substance use in adolescence and adulthood. Head Start classrooms were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group. A classroom-based curriculum was delivered by Head Start teachers who received a number of training workshops and continued consultation. Parent training and home visits were also provided to intervention families. Positive parenting as well as parent-school involvement increased over the 1st year of intervention. Intervention families maintained the positive effects on parenting into the kindergarten year over a matched control group; however, effects on school bonding were not maintained. Improvements in social competence, reported by teachers and parents, were found at the end of kindergarten. No changes were found for self-regulation.
Subject(s)
Early Intervention, Educational , Family , Rural Health Services , Substance-Related Disorders/prevention & control , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Parent-Child Relations , Parenting , School Health Services , Social Control, InformalABSTRACT
Head Start centers provide an excellent context for the implementation and success of family-based interventions, particularly home visiting. Based on a developmental-ecological model, a universal family-centered intervention was implemented with Head Start families. Outcome data from this parenting and home visiting program is presented (Project STAR: Steps to Achieving Resilience). Results suggest that both parenting groups and home visiting interventions are effective at enhancing parenting skills: however, home visiting programs have a higher participation rate. Additionally, home visiting by familiar staff was particularly successful at improving parenting skills at follow-up. Results suggest that embedding targeted interventions in universal strategies can be an effective means of engaging families in services. The results have implications for service delivery methods in early childhood as a means of enhancing parent participation.
