GEORGE L. ASKEW, MD, FAAP
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARYADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
A M E R I C A N A SS O C I AT I O N O F N U R S I N G3 8 T H A N N UA L M E E T I N G A N D C O N F E R E N C E
O C T O B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 1
Research in Early Head Start
What I Will Cover Today
Brief Overview of Administration for Children and Families
Brief Overview of Early Head StartReview of Research in Early Head Start
(BABY FACES)Questions and Answers
Administration for Children and Families
Head StartEarly Head Start
Established 1995 Serves children birth to three: 1008 programs; over
133,000 children Promotes healthy prenatal outcomes, enhances the
development of infants and toddlers, and promotes healthy family functioning.
4 Cornerstones: Child Development, Family Development, Community Building and Staff Development
3 other areas of importance: Administrative Management, Continuous Improvement and Children with Disabilities
What is Early Head Start?
Service Delivery: PIR & Baby FACES
Staff Characteristics
Teachers HVHighest level of education:
High school or less 6 2Some college 22 20Associate’s 39 27Bachelor’s or higher 33 51
Field of study early childhood or child development 64 59CDA 55 4Elevated depressive symptoms 8 6
Linguistic and Ethnic Diversity
What Do We Know About Health of EHS Children?
Children Are Healthy at Birth and Age 1
Low rates of premature birth and low birth weight (about 10 percent)
63 percent were breastfed (average 4 months)
96 percent have insurance coverage92 percent up-to-date immunizations74 percent had well-child checkups
Poor Feeding Practices Start Early
Percentage
Parent Reported Feeding Practices at Age 1
Some Incidence of Positive Feeding Practices
Percentage
Parent Reported Feeding Practices at Age 1
Children’s BMI Similar to Other Low Income Samples
About 1/3 are overweight or obese at age 2– 16 percent are overweight (85-94th percentile)– 17 percent are obese (95th percentile or higher)
Just 6 percent of parents report a medical professional said child is overweight
Rates of overweight and obesity not predicted by feeding practices or other characteristics (including race/ethnicity)
Programmatic Initiatives
Office of Head Start is piloting obesity prevention programs:
– Head Start: I Am Moving I Am Learning
– Early Head Start: Little Voices for Healthy Choices
Overall Impacts for Children: Age 3
Higher immunization rate Fewer emergency room visits for accidents and
injuries Cognitive development (higher Bayley scores &
fewer in low-functioning group*) Larger receptive vocabularies Lower levels of aggressive behavior Greater sustained attention with objects,
engagement of parent, and less negativity
Overall Impacts for Parents: Age 3
More positive (and less negative) parenting observed in parent-child play: both mothers and fathers
Higher HOME scores, more stimulating home environments, support for learning
More daily reading Less spanking: both mother and father report More hours in education and job training
Impact on Breastfeeding
For those women who enrolled during pregnancy:
44% of EHS moms
33% of the control group
Questions
?s
Promoting happy, healthy and successful children, strong families and supportive communities