Patterns and Predictors of Early Care and Education for Children in Foster Care

Effects of formal center-based care and positive parenting practices on children in foster care

BACKGROUND

The current study examined whether children in foster care have better cognitive and social-emotional outcomes at kindergarten age when they enroll in formal center-based care and when they receive positive parenting practices at home.

OBJECTIVE

Two primary questions were addressed: (1) Do children in foster care who attended formal center-based care (including Head Start) have higher cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes than children in foster care who did not attend formal center-based care? (2) Does positive parenting practice promote better cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes?

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Based on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-K: 2011 data, 299 children in foster care were selected.

METHODS

Regression analyses were conducted on children's cognitive and social-emotional scores by types of children's childcare arrangements (formal vs informal care) and positive parenting practices. Active parental involvement was measured based on how frequently parents read books with their children, and authoritarian parenting discipline was measured based on whether parents spanked their children.

RESULTS

Children in foster care who enrolled in formal center-based childcare at pre-school age have higher cognitive and socio-emotional scores at kindergarten age. Positive parenting practice also promotes children's outcomes. Children in foster care who are both enrolled in formal center-based care and experience positive parenting practice had the most positive outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents raising children in foster care should be informed about the positive impacts of certain parenting practices on their children. Foster parents should be connected to available community resources, including formal-center-based preschool programs and required to continuously attend parenting classes to sustain positive impact of parenting practice on foster children.

Long-term Head Start Impact on developmental outcomes for children in foster care

PURPOSE

This study examined the long-term effects of Head Start on foster children's developmental outcomes from ages 3-4 to 8-9.

METHOD

187 children in the care of foster parents (either relatives or non-relatives) were selected among 4442 children from the Head Start Impact study data, collected during 2002-2009. Children's cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes were measured at three time points: ages 3-4, 5-6, and 8-9.

RESULTS

Regression analysis was used to examine interaction effects of Head Start at the three measured time points. Results indicated that children in foster care who participated in Head Start had overall higher cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes compared to children in foster care who did not participate in Head Start. The positive impacts of Head Start on children in foster care were more prevalent when children were 8-9 years old.

IMPLICATIONS

Social workers should evaluate, identify and connect adequate social services to children in foster care. Future studies should be conducted to identify the barriers of accessing Head Start among children in foster care.