Exploring the Predictors of Enrollment and Kindergarten Entry Skills of Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners in a Mixed-Delivery System of Public Preschool.

Dual language learners (DLLs) - young children learning and developing in multiple languages - make up nearly one-third of the population of public preschool attendees in the U.S. Yet despite the large number of DLLs attending the nation's largest public preschool programs - Head Start and state-funded public pre-k - little is known about DLL families' patterns of selection into each program, nor about the relative benefits of each program for DLLs' early learning. The present study uses contemporary data from a mixed-delivery system of public preschool in Tulsa, Oklahoma to examine predictors of attending Head Start or Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) pre-k, as well as whether program type is associated with differences in DLLs' kindergarten entry skills. Among DLLs from economically-disadvantaged families, we find some limited differences between DLLs who selected into TPS public pre-k versus Head Start: TPS public pre-k attenders were more likely to have married mothers, parents who chose a preschool program based on logistical opportunities/constraints rather than programmatic preferences, and greater attention/impulse control skills at the start of preschool than were Head Start attenders. We then examined the association between program type and children's academic and self-regulation skills at kindergarten entry. Controlling for predictors of differential enrollment and children's earlier skills, we find no differences in kindergarten skills across students who attended Head Start and TPS public pre-k, suggesting both programs prepare DLLs equally well for school success.

A deeper dive, a wider pool: Preschool benefits sustain to first grade on a broader set of outcomes.

The current study provides new evidence on the sustained benefits of preschool attendance on a broader range of skills-both academic and executive functioning (EF)-than many prior studies have examined. Using propensity score methods, we predicted children's (N = 920, M age at 1st = 6.5 years) literacy, language, math, and EF skills in kindergarten and again at first-grade (2020-2021) based on whether they had attended public preschool (school-based pre-k; Head Start) versus no preschool. In our race-ethnically diverse sample of children (48% Hispanic/Latinx; 21% Black; 14% White; 9% Native American; 9% multiracial) from low-income families, preschool attenders showed advantages on English literacy, English language, and math in kindergarten, which mostly persisted into first-grade. Preschool did not boost EF in kindergarten or first-grade.

When does 1 + 1 not equal 2? The relative advantage of public school-based pre-k versus head start for low-income children's kindergarten cognitive and self-regulatory skills.

Decades of research suggest that both Head Start and public pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs boost low-income preschoolers' kindergarten skills. What is not yet well understood is whether there are relative advantages of transitioning from Head Start after 1 year into a school-based public pre-k program for the year immediately before kindergarten for children's developing cognitive and self-regulation skills. This is an important question, because in many communities Head Start and school-based pre-k programs provide competing early education options for low-income 4-year-olds, leaving policymakers, educators, and parents wondering which pathway best promotes the mix of skills predictive of success in elementary school. Only one study-conducted prior to significant recent demographic and policy changes affecting early education and focused exclusively on cognitive outcomes-has addressed this question. We extend that work with contemporary data on 362 low-income children to assess the relative advantages for both kindergarten cognitive and self-regulatory skills of 2 years of Head Start before kindergarten versus transitioning from Head Start to school-based pre-k at age 4. The child sample was evenly split by gender and diverse in race/ethnicity (50% Hispanic/Latinx; 36% Black; 7% White). Results showed that children who transitioned after 1 year of Head Start to school-based pre-k at age 4 showed marginally higher kindergarten literacy (d = .13) and significantly greater math (d = .18) skills than children who remained in Head Start for a second year, but there were no significant differences in kindergarten self-regulatory skills. Implications for contemporary, pressing policy issues are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Both sides of the screen: Predictors of parents' and teachers' depression and food insecurity during COVID-19-related distance learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented strains on both parents and teachers, both of whose mental and financial hardships have serious implications for young children's wellbeing. We drew on an existing cohort study of families with low incomes in Tulsa, OK when children were in their Spring of first grade in 2020. We surveyed parents and teachers - children's caregivers on both sides of the screen during distance learning - before and after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and schools were closed. We first compared the proportion of parents and teachers who were depressed and food-insecure before and after the pandemic struck. We then used pre-pandemic characteristics of parents and teachers in separate models to predict their depression and food insecurity during the pandemic. Results showed that rates of depression among both parents and teachers spiked after COVID-19, and food insecurity rates also increased among parents. For both parents and teachers, the strongest predictor of depression during COVID-19 was having experienced depression before the pandemic. Similarly, the strongest predictor of food insecurity during COVID-19 was having experienced food insecurity beforehand. These results point intervention efforts towards identifying the caregivers of children in low-income contexts whose mental and financial wellbeing are likely to be most compromised during this and perhaps future disasters.

Hispanic English language learner families and food insecurity during COVID-19: Risk factors and systems of food support.

INTRODUCTION: Although many low-income families have experienced food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, rates have been particularly high among low-income Hispanic and immigrant households. METHODS: The present study draws on data from an ongoing longitudinal study of low-income families and children in Tulsa, Oklahoma to examine food insecurity among English Language Learners (ELLs), all of whom were Hispanic and most of whom came from immigrant families. RESULTS: Findings indicate that, although low-income ELL families were somewhat more likely to experience food insecurity than other low-income families before the pandemic, once COVID-19 erupted, they had 3 times the odds of experiencing food insecurity, even after controlling for prior risk factors and COVID-related income loss. Further, food-insecure ELLs were less likely to receive SNAP benefits than other food-insecure families. DISCUSSION: Taken with other research, results suggest that because of concerns around immigration status, ELL families may have less access to critical benefits that have supported other families throughout the pandemic, such as SNAP and CARES Act stimulus checks. Thus, to meet the urgent needs of persistent food insecurity, aid should refocus on using rapid response systems with community ties, such as mutual aid organizations and school systems, to provide financial and monetary support to low-income ELL families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Chaos during the COVID-19 outbreak: Predictors of household chaos among low-income families during a pandemic.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore whether household chaos measured during the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted by prepandemic parental and household characteristics. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered children's home environments and routines due to stay-at-home orders, school closures, and economic shocks. These disruptions have been especially challenging for low-income families who have limited resources and have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Household chaos, which captures routines, organization, stability, noise, and crowding in the home, is a documented threat to parent functioning and positive child development. The pandemic has likely exacerbated household chaos, especially for low-income families. Method: Data come from a larger, ongoing study of low-income children and their parents in Tulsa, Oklahoma; this analysis relies on data from the subset of low-income parents who responded to surveys when their children were in kindergarten (in 2018-2019) and during the pandemic, when their children were in first grade (n = 335). We use multivariate ordinary least squares regression models to test whether household chaos measured during the pandemic is predicted by prepandemic parental and household characteristics. Results: Prepandemic parental depression and household chaos were significantly predictive of chaos during the pandemic, even after accounting for household demographics. Implications: The current study highlights pandemic-induced elevations in parental distress and household chaos among low-income families. Results will provide valuable direction to policymakers, educators, and parents on how best to offset negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family functioning and child development.

Understanding patterns of food insecurity and family well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic using daily surveys.

This paper investigates economic and psychological hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic among a diverse sample (61% Latinx; 16% White; 9% Black; 14% mixed/other race) of socioeconomically disadvantaged parents (90% mothers; mean age = 35 years) and their elementary school-aged children (ages 4-11; 49% female) in rural Pennsylvania (N = 272). Families participating in a local food assistance program reported on food insecurity (FI) and parent and child mood and behavior daily from January to May 2020. Longitudinal models revealed that FI, negative parent and child mood, and child misbehavior significantly increased when schools closed; only FI and parent depression later decreased. FI decreased most among those who received the local food assistance program; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receipt uniquely predicted decreases in child FI.

Reframing High-Quality Public Preschool as a Vehicle for Narrowing Child Health Disparities Based on Family Income.

Past research shows that high-quality public preschool may disproportionately support low-income children's school readiness because low-income children tend to arrive at school with fewer of the academic skills needed for success. This suggests a compensatory process in human development in which the children who benefit most from a promotive factor are those who stand to gain the most. We propose that high-quality public preschool may similarly confer its greatest health rewards to low-income children, who are generally in poorer health than their peers. If that is true, preschool has the potential to narrow health disparities by income, which without intervention, persist into adulthood. To date, no one has articulated all the pathways through which high-quality public preschool may improve children's health, much less those that should disproportionately benefit those from low-income families. Drawing on the bioecological paradigm of human development, we propose a model identifying specific mechanisms likely to promote equity in child health. These mechanisms reflect core characteristics of high-quality public preschool that may disproportionately benefit low-income children's health. This model serves as a working template for a program of future research.

Childcare Instability and Maternal Depressive Symptoms: Exploring New Avenues for Supporting Maternal Mental Health.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated links between childcare experiences-specifically, care instability and mothers' perceptions of care access-and maternal depressive symptoms in an effort to illuminate policy-amenable mechanisms through which childcare experiences can support maternal mental health. METHODS: Data were taken from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. We used regression models with lagged dependent variables to estimate associations between aspects of childcare instability and perceptions of care availability and maternal depressive symptoms. We did so on the full sample and then on subgroups of mothers for whom childcare instability may be especially distressing: mothers who are low income, working, single, or non-native speakers of English. RESULTS: Childcare instability-length in months in the longest arrangement and number of arrangements-was not associated with maternal depressive symptoms. However, mothers' perceptions of having good choices for care were associated with a reduced likelihood of clinical depressive symptoms, even after controlling for prior depressive symptoms and concurrent parenting stress; this latter association was observed both in the full sample (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-0.96) and among subgroups of employed mothers (AOR = 0.71; CI = 0.57-0.87) and single mothers (AOR = 0.72; CI = 0.52-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Although dimensions of care instability did not associate with maternal depressive symptoms, mothers' perceptions of available care options did. If replicated, findings would highlight a previously unconsidered avenue-increasing care accessibility and awareness of available options-for promoting maternal mental health in a population likely to experience depression but unlikely to be treated.

Associations between publicly funded preschool and low-income children's kindergarten readiness: The moderating role of child temperament.

Publicly funded center-based preschool programs were designed to enhance low-income children's early cognitive and social-emotional skills in preparation for kindergarten. In the U.S., the federal Head Start program and state-funded public school-based pre-kindergarten (pre-k) programs are the two primary center-based settings in which low-income children experience publicly funded preschool. Although evidence suggests that these programs generally promote cognitive and social-emotional skills for low-income children overall, whether the benefits of program participation vary for low-income children with difficult temperaments is unexplored. Difficult temperament status is a source of vulnerability that connotes increased risk for poor early school outcomes-risks that may be ameliorated by public preschool programs known to promote kindergarten readiness among other vulnerable populations. Using a nationally representative sample of low-income children (N ≈ 3,000) drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study tests whether associations between public preschool participation and children's cognitive and social-emotional skills in kindergarten are moderated by difficult temperament status. We focus on Head Start and public school-based pre-k, comparing both with parental care and with each other. Results provide weak evidence that public preschool's benefits on children's cognitive and social-emotional skills in kindergarten are moderated by child temperament. School-based pre-k is significantly associated with better reading skills relative to parental care only for children with difficult temperaments. Additionally, for children with difficult temperaments, Head Start is significantly associated with better approaches to learning relative to parental care, and with reduced externalizing behavior problems relative to school-based pre-k. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Food Insecurity and Family Well-Being Outcomes among Households with Young Children.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations between household food insecurity and multiple family well-being variables in an effort to illuminate previously understudied, policy-amenable mechanisms through which food insecurity threatens healthy development. STUDY DESIGN: Data are drawn from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort contains longitudinal data on household food insecurity and several family well-being factors including maternal physical and mental health, positive parenting practices and disciplinary strategies, and frequency and severity of spousal conflict. We use regression models with lagged dependent variables to estimate associations between food insecurity and family well-being outcomes, on a subsample of low-income families (N ≈ 2100-4700). RESULTS: Household food insecurity was significantly associated with poorer maternal physical health; increased depressive symptoms and use of harsh discipline strategies; and greater frequency and negativity of conflict between parents. Associations were strongest and most consistent when children were preschool aged. Transitions into food insecurity between toddlerhood and preschool were also associated with significantly worse parental physical and mental health outcomes, and more family conflict, with similar though slightly weaker and less consistent associations for transitioning into food insecurity between infancy and toddlerhood. CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity is associated with significant decreases in family health and well-being. Clinicians and other public health officials play a critical role in assessing risk for children and families, and linking families with supportive services. Screening families experiencing or at risk for food insecurity and connecting them with resources is an avenue through which public health practitioners can support family health.

Associations Between Household Food Insecurity in Early Childhood and Children's Kindergarten Skills.

Using nationally representative data on a recent birth cohort of U.S.-born children in low-income households (n = 2,800-3,700), this study investigates associations between the timing and intensity of early childhood food insecurity and children's kindergarten reading, math, and social-emotional outcomes. Descriptive patterns reveal that approximately 20% of low-income 0- to 5-year-old children reside in food-insecure households. Food insecurity experienced during early childhood is unfavorably associated with social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten, controlling for household income and prior assessments of child social-emotional skills. Results are less consistent for cognitive outcomes but similar in magnitude. If replicated, findings may inform policy efforts to reduce disparities in early skills for approximately 15 million U.S. children in food-insecure households.

Predictors of Public Early Care and Education Use among Children of Low-Income Immigrants.

Little is known about predictors of publicly funded early care and education (ECE) use among low-income children of immigrants. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to effectively increase participation in these public programs, which promote school readiness but are underused by children of immigrants. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study -Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study attempts to identify pertinent family, child, maternal ECE preference, broader contextual, and immigrant specific characteristics predictive of ECE use among 4-year old children in a sample of low-income children of immigrants (N ≈ 1,050). Specifically, we estimate multinomial logistic regression models predicting type of ECE (Head Start, public pre-k, subsidized ECE, unsubsidized ECE, parental care) from these characteristics. Findings suggest that even in a low-income sample, correlates of disadvantage such as low maternal education and prior receipt of public benefits are important predictors of public ECE use, as are maternal preferences for certain features of care and supply-side factors such as ECE availability. Immigrant-specific factors such as English proficiency, citizenship status, availability of non-English speaking caregivers, and generosity of state policies toward immigrants emerged as particularly salient for explaining the public ECE selection patterns of low-income immigrants. Results point to future research areas and potential policy solutions aimed at increasing public ECE use for children who may stand to benefit the most.

Variation in impacts of Tulsa pre-K on cognitive development in kindergarten: The role of instructional support.

Public prekindergarten (pre-K) programs have been a recent focus of policy and research attention, in part because of their empirically documented, positive short-term impacts on child cognitive development and school readiness. However, no studies have explored factors that might explain variation across schools in public pre-K impacts. The current study examines the Tulsa Public School pre-K program's impacts on children's letter-word identification, spelling, and applied problem-solving skills at kindergarten entry. Findings reveal substantial across-school variation in treatment impacts, associated with variation in instructional support. Results are robust to sensitivity checks and are discussed alongside implications for policy and future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Child care subsidies and the school readiness of children of immigrants.

This study is the first to test whether receipt of a federal child care subsidy is associated with children of immigrants' school readiness skills. Using nationally representative data (n ≈ 2,900), this study estimates the associations between subsidy receipt at age 4 and kindergarten cognitive and social outcomes, for children of immigrant versus native-born parents. Among children of immigrants, subsidized center-based care (vs. subsidized and unsubsidized home-based care) was positively linked with reading. Among children of native-born parents, those in subsidized center care displayed poorer math skills than those in unsubsidized centers, and more externalizing problems than those in unsubsidized home-based care.

Child-care subsidies and child-care choices over time.

The evidence to date on the federal child-care subsidy program's effect on preschool child-care quality is mixed. However, an as-yet untested outcome of subsidy receipt is subsequent child-care choice. Specifically, it is possible that subsidy receipt in toddlerhood increases the likelihood of attending other publicly funded preschool programs-Head Start and public pre-k-that provide the highest quality care available to low-income families. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (n ≈ 2,100; approximately 2 years old), this study finds that subsidy receipt during toddlerhood predicts greater use of the other forms of publicly funded care in the preschool year, although only if the earlier subsidy is used in a center. These results highlight a previously unconsidered potential benefit of the subsidy program.

Can We Trust Parental Reports of Child Care Subsidy Receipt?

In recent years, research examining determinants and consequences of the means-tested child care subsidy program (the Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF]) has grown dramatically. To measure subsidy utilization, existing studies typically rely on parent-reported measures of subsidy receipt drawn from large surveys. As the research literature on child care subsidies has grown, however, so have concerns about the trustworthiness of parent-reported subsidy use. One way to assess the quality of parent-reported subsidy use is to examine its overlap with another subsidy receipt measure, drawn from a different source. The current paper uses the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS), the only existing survey data source that contains an alternate measure of subsidy receipt - based on child care provider report - which permits a comparison to parent-reported measures. We find evidence that increases our confidence in the trustworthiness of parents as accurate reporters of subsidy receipt. In recognition that neither data source reflects "true" subsidy receipt, however, we conclude with a discussion of limitations and steps for future research.

Child-care subsidies and school readiness in kindergarten.

The federal child-care subsidy program represents one of the government's largest investments in early care and education. Using data from the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, this study examines associations, among subsidy-eligible families, between child-care subsidy receipt when children are 4 years old and a range of school readiness outcomes in kindergarten (sample n ≈ 1,400). Findings suggest that subsidy receipt in preschool is not directly linked to subsequent reading or social-emotional skills. However, subsidy receipt predicted lower math scores among children attending community-based centers. Supplementary analyses revealed that subsidies predicted greater use of center care, but this association did not appear to affect school readiness.

Child-care subsidies: do they impact the quality of care children experience?

The federal child-care subsidy program represents one of the government's largest investments in early care and education, but little is known about whether it increases low-income children's access to higher quality child care. This study used newly available nationally representative data on 4-year-old children (N = 750) to investigate whether subsidy receipt elevates child-care quality. Results indicate that subsidy recipients use higher quality care compared to nonrecipients who use no other publicly funded care, but lower quality care compared to nonrecipients who instead use Head Start or public pre-k. Findings suggest that subsidies may have the potential to enhance care quality but that parents who use subsidies are not accessing the highest quality care available to low-income families.

Order in the House! Associations among Household Chaos, the Home Literacy Environment, Maternal Reading Ability, and Children's Early Reading.

The current study examines whether associations exist between household chaos and children's early reading skills, after controlling for a comprehensive battery of home literacy environment characteristics. Our sample included 455 kindergarten and First-grade children who are enrolled in the Western Reserve Reading Project. We go on to test whether these associations are moderated by maternal reading ability. Results suggest that the degree of household order is significantly and positively associated with the expressive vocabulary, Woodcock Reading Mastery, and phonological awareness skills of children whose mothers are above-average readers. By contrast, the number of books a child owns or brings home and how often a child amuses self alone with books are significantly associated with the expressive vocabulary, Woodcock Reading Mastery, and phonological awareness skills of children whose mothers ore average-ability readers. These results suggest the potential for new approaches to encouraging literacy development in the home beyond those that depend solely on parental literacy.