Love, J. M., Kisker, E. E., Ross, Raikes, H., Constantin, J., Boller, K. et al. (2005). The effectiveness of Early Head Start for 3-year-old children and their parents: Lessons for policy and programs. Developmental Psychology, 41(6), 885-901.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 3,001 families

Population:

• Age range — Children 3 years old
• Race/Ethnicity — 37% White, 34% African American, 24% Hispanic, 5% Other.
• Gender — Not Specified
• Status — Families eligible to enroll in Head Start.

Location / Institution: National

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Families were recruited using normal procedures by 17 Early Head Start (EHS) Programs in all regions of the country. Families were then randomly assigned to EHS or to a control group who received no EHS services, but had access to other community services. Children's cognitive and language development was measured by the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPV-III). Social and emotional development was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and an observation of parent-child interaction in a play task. Child health was evaluated using parent responses to the National Health Interview Survey. Parenting measures included the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), which includes assessments of parental supportiveness, parent detachment, reading with children, and physical punishment. Analyses showed that, by 3 years of age, EHS children performed better in cognitive and language development, showed higher engagement with the parent in the play activity and more sustained attention than did controls. Parents in the EHS programs were more emotionally supportive, provided more learning and language opportunities, read to their children more and spanked less. The strongest effects were found for those programs that provided a mix of home-visiting and center-based services.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: None.

Chazan-Cohen, R., Ayoub, C., Pan, B. A., Roggman, L., Raikes, H., Mckelvey, L. et al. (2007). It takes time: Impacts of Early Head Start that lead to reductions in maternal depression two years later. Infant Mental Health Journal, 28(2), 151-170.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 3,000 families

Population:

• Age range — Children 5 years old
• Race/Ethnicity — 37% White, 34% African American, 24% Hispanic, 5% Other
• Gender — Not Specified
• Status — Families eligible to enroll in Head Start.

Location / Institution: National

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Note: This study uses the same sample as the Love et al. (2005) study. Families were randomly assigned to be enrolled in and Early Head Start (EHS) program or to a control group. Maternal depression was assessed at the beginning of the study, when children were between 14 and 36 months old, using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). They were reassessed at 14 months, 36 months, and when their child entered kindergarten. Children's cognitive and language development was measured by the Mental Development Index (MDI) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPV-III). Social and emotional development was measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and an observation of parent-child interaction in a play task. Child health was evaluated using parent responses to the National Health Interview Survey. Parenting measures included the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), which includes assessments of parental supportiveness, parent detachment, reading with children and physical punishment. Family well-being was measured at ages 2 and 3 using two subscale from the Parenting Stress Index. Analysis showed that a number of factors affected by attending an EHS program had a delayed effect in reducing maternal depression for those families. The most important family mediators seemed to be reduction in parental distress and reduction in spanking. The major child mediators were reduction in aggressive behavior and higher cognitive development.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: 2 years.

Roggman, L. A., Boyce, L. K., Cook, G. A., Christiansen, K., & Jones,D. (2004). Playing with Daddy: Social toy play, Early Head Start, and developmental outcomes. Fathering, 2(1), 83-108

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 74 families

Population:

• Age range — Children from 14 to 36 months
• Race/Ethnicity — 97% White
• Gender — Not Specified
• Status — Low-income families eligible for Early Head Start.

Location / Institution: Rural Utah

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
Note: This sample is a subset of the National Sample used in Love, et al (2005). Participants in this study were fathers of families who had been randomly assigned to either the Early Head Start (EHS) program or to a control group. Parent-toddler social toy play was coded on rating scale designed for this study. The scale rated complexity of shared toy interactions on a scale of 1 to 7, with lower scores indicating few verbal or toy-related interactions during play and higher scores indicating more complex sequences in which there is more continuous conversation and sharing. Researchers also coded parent supportiveness of play, parent sensitivity, cognitive stimulation and positive regard for the child. The child's cognitive development was assessed at 14, 24, and 36 months using age-appropriate items on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II). The child's emotional regulation was measured with the Behavior Rating Scales of the BSID-II. The father's psychosocial well-being was measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Parenting Stress Index. Researchers also assessed family conflict with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Results showed that EHS father engaged in more complex play at 24 months. Greater complexity of father-toddler social play predicted better cognitive and social outcomes for children, and this correlation was stronger in the EHS group. Statistical analysis showed that depression was correlated with lower play scores and that participation in the EHS reduced the influence of this factor.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: None.

Ayoub, C., O’Connor, E., Rappolt-Schlictmann, G., Vallotton, C., Raikes, H., & Chazan-Cohen, R. (2009). Cognitive skill performance among young children living in poverty: Risk, change, and the promotive effects of Early Head Start. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24, 289-305.

Type of Study: Randomized controlled trial
Number of Participants: 2,764

Population:

• Age range — 1 to 3 years
• Race/Ethnicity — 43% Caucasian, 34% African American, and 23% Hispanic
• Gender — 51% Male and 49% Female
• Status — Participants were mothers and toddlers from the Love et al. (2005) study.

Location / Institution: 17 Early Head Start (EHS) program sites in 16 states across the United States

Summary: (To include comparison groups, outcomes, measures, notable limitations)
The study used the same sample as the Love et al. (2005) randomized controlled trial. The present study examined associations between risk factors and the protective and/or promotive effects of EHS on children’s cognitive skill performance compared to a national sample. Data were collected when the child was approximately 14, 24, and 36 months of age. Measures used included the Mental Development Index subscale of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development-II (BSID-II), the emotionality scale of the Buss and Plomin Emotionality, Adaptability, and Sociability Inventory (EASI-II), and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME). Results indicated that children who were enrolled in EHS had higher cognitive skill scores at three years of age than their peers who were not in EHS.

Length of post-intervention follow-up: None.