Intensive and comprehensive child development and family support services designed to nurture healthy attachments between parent and child.
The Evidence Summaries presented on this site were drawn from the best available evidence of the program’s effectiveness. It does not necessarily reflect all the evidence about the program. The research was selected and assessed for inclusion on the Menu and towards the evidence rating because it met selection criteria related to the specific topic area, study design, quality assessment and the outcomes of interest.
Overview
Evidence Rating
Pathway
- Early help
Australian Study
Risk of Bias
Cost
Target Age Group
About
Early Head Start provides family-centred services designed to promote the development of children, and to enable their parents to fulfill their roles as parents and move toward self-sufficiency. It promotes the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers through safe and developmentally enriching caregiving. This prepares these children for continued growth and development and eventual success in school and life.
Aims
- Support healthy prenatal outcomes
- Enhance intellectual, social and emotional development of infants and toddlers to promote later success in school and life.
Impact
The evidence suggests that Early Head Start improved childcare use. Parents reported more use and time spent in centre child care. There was no effect found for improving family functioning and parental wellbeing. Results for other outcomes measured were mixed and inconclusive.
| Outcome domain | Outcome measured | Positive effect | No effect | Negative effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System | Child protection system contact | Not found | Yes | Not found |
| System | Health service use | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Child | Education | Not found | Yes | Not found |
| Child | Mental health/behaviour | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Child | Wellbeing | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Family | Employment | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Family | Functioning | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Family | Welfare/ Poverty | Not found | Yes | Not found |
| Parent/Caregiver | Education | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Parent/Caregiver | Mental health/functioning | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Parent/Caregiver | Parenting | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| Parent/Caregiver | Substance abuse | Not found | Not found | Not found |
| Parent/Caregiver | Wellbeing | Not found | Yes | Not found |
How to read the table:
When ‘Yes’ is indicated for one of the three directions of effect, this means there is evidence of ‘positive’, ‘no effect’ or ‘negative effect’. Evidence is mixed and inconclusive when ‘Yes’ is indicated for two or more directions of effect. Further information about direction of effect can be found on the Using the Menu page.
Early Head Start has an evidence rating of Supported+.
This means that Early Head Start has evidence from one randomised controlled trial (RCT) or quasi-experiment (QE) demonstrating positive, long-term impact on at least one child and family outcome.
This assessment is based on 9 research outputs from one primary study. Another RCT and 2 QEs were identified but did not count towards the evidence due to concerns with study quality. Early Head Start has not received a Well-supported rating as it has not yet replicated its results in another RCT or QE with a different population or setting.
| Study design | Number of research outputs included |
|---|---|
| Systematic review with meta-analysis | Not identified or included |
| Randomised controlled trial | 1 |
| Quasi-experiment | Not identified or included |
The evidence has some concerns with risk of bias.
The quality of evidence of the QE is low with have high risk of bias and results should be interpreted with caution.
The study was conducted in the United States and does not include Aboriginal children and families.
Aboriginal knowledge and evidence is critical to recognise, document and share practices that lead to improved outcomes for Aboriginal children and families. The department is consulting with the Aboriginal community and stakeholders on how Aboriginal knowledge and evidence is defined and included on the Menu.
Location
The study was conducted in the United States.
Sample characteristics
- 3001 families (1513 intervention, 1488 control) participated in the study.
- The children were aged 0 to 3.
- The families had incomes below the federal poverty line and a child under age one.
- Participants identified as White (37%), Black (35%), Hispanic (24%) and other (4%).
Implementation
Delivery model, mode and setting
- Early Head Start is delivered in-person, to individual families at Early Head Start program sites.
Target cohort
- Infants and toddlers under age 3
- Pregnant women.
Program delivery
- Children and families enrolled in centre-based programs receive comprehensive child development services in a centre-based setting, supplemented with home visits by the child's teacher and other Early Head Start staff.
- In home-based settings, children and their families are supported through weekly home visits and bi-monthly group socialisation experiences. Early Head Start also serves children through locally designed family childcare options, in which certified childcare providers care for children in their homes.
- Services include early education both in and out of the home, parenting education, comprehensive health and mental health services for mothers and children, nutrition education and family support services.
Duration and intensity
- Home visits occur weekly and group socialisation experiences bi-monthly until child age 3.
Manuals and guides
- We were unable to locate any manuals or guides to implement Early Head Start.
Additional information
- The Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Centre website has more information about the Early Head Start program.
We were unable to locate any information on staff and training requirements.
To our knowledge, Early Head Start is not available and has not been implemented in Australia.
Cost
We were unable to locate any information on the cost of Early Head Start.
References
Studies identified and included in the review
- 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.
- Chazan-Cohen R, Ayoub C, Pan BA, Roggman L, Raikes H, McKelvey L, Whiteside-Mansell L & Hart A (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.
- Green BL, Ayoub C, Bartlett JD, Von Ende A, Furrer C, Chazan-Cohen R, Vallotton C & Klevens J (2014). The effect of Early Head Start on child welfare system involvement: A first look at longitudinal child maltreatment outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review,42:127-135.
- Love JM, Kisker EE, Ross CM, Schochet PZ, Brooks-Gunn J, Paulsell D, Boller K, Constantine J, Vogel C, Fuligni AS & Brady-Smith C (2002). Making a difference in the lives of children and families: The impacts of Early Head Start programs on infants and toddlers and their families. Volumes I-III: Final Technical Report. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services (report).
- Love J, Constantine J, Paulsell D, Boller K, Ross C, Raikes H, Brady-Smith C, & Brooks-Gunn J (2004). The role of Early Head Start programs in addressing the child care needs of low-income families with infants and toddlers: Influences on child care use and quality. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services (report).
- McKelvey L, Schiffman RF, Brophy-Herb HE, Bocknek EL, Fitzgerald HE, Reischl TM, Hawver S & Deluca MC (2015). Examining long-term effects of an infant mental health home-based Early Head Start program on family strengths and resilience. Infant Mental Health Journal, 36(4):353-365.
- Raikes HH, Roggman LA, Peterson CA, Brooks-Gunn J, Chazan-Cohen R, Zhang X & Schiffman RF (2014). Theories of change and outcomes in home-based Early Head Start programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(4):574-585.
- Vogel CA, Xue Y, Moiduddin EM, Kisker EE & Carlson BL (2010). Early Head Start children in Grade 5: Long-term follow-up of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Study Sample. OPRE Report # 2011-8. Washington, DC, US Department of Health and Human Services.
- Vogel C, Brooks-Gunn J, Martin A & Klute MM (2013). What makes a difference: Early Head Start evaluation findings in a developmental context: III. Impacts of Early Head Start participation on child and parent outcomes at ages 2, 3, and 5. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78(1):36 63.
Studies identified but not counted towards the evidence rating due to study quality
- Berlin LJ, Whiteside-Mansell L, Roggman LA, Green BL, Robinson J & Spieker S (2011). Testing maternal depression and attachment style as moderators of Early Head Start's effects on parenting. Attachment & Human Development 13(1):49-67.
- Love JM, Kisker EE, Ross C, Raikes H, Constantine J, Boller K, Brooks-Gunn J, Chazan-Cohen R, Tarullo LB, Brady-Smith C, Fuligni AS, Schochet PZ, Paulsell D & Vogel C (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.
- Roggman LA, Boyce LK, Cook GA, Christiansen K & Jones D (2007). Playing with Daddy: Social toy play, Early Head Start, and developmental outcomes. Fathering, 2(1):83-108.