Living in non-parental care moderates effects of prekindergarten experiences on externalizing behavior problems in school

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Highlights

  • Non-parental care moderated effects of prekindergarten on externalizing.

  • Conflict with teachers predicted increasing externalizing for full sample.

  • More hours of prekindergarten predicted increasing externalizing for full sample.

  • Closeness with teachers predicted less externalizing for non-parental sample.

  • Process quality predicted increasing externalizing for non-parental sample.

Abstract

The current study examines the effects of prekindergarten quality and quantity on externalizing behavior problems for children living in non-parental care, compared to other children from socioeconomically at-risk backgrounds. Data were obtained from the Head Start Impact Study. Non-parental care was defined as a primary caregiver other than a biological, adoptive, or step-parent. The sample included 3029 children who attended center-based prekindergarten. Teacher–child conflict and more hours of prekindergarten predicted increased externalizing behavior problems for the full sample. Teacher–child closeness and overall process quality were only associated with externalizing behavior for children in non-parental care. Findings are discussed within a goodness-of-fit perspective in which the vulnerabilities of children in non-parental care explain how they respond to their prekindergarten experiences.

Introduction

Externalizing behavior problems, including hyperactivity, inattention, and aggressive or oppositional behaviors, impede children's abilities to succeed in school (e.g., Keith and Roisman, 2010, Ladd et al., 1999). Children with early externalizing behaviors tend to show less motivation, persistence, and positive attitudes toward learning in preschool, which are in turn linked with lower achievement in elementary school (e.g., McWayne & Cheung, 2009). A national survey of kindergarten teachers revealed that more children face problems managing their behavior (e.g., following directions) than grasping early academics (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, & Cox, 2000). A particularly vulnerable group of children at-risk for behavioral problems during the transition to school are those living in non-parental care (e.g., formal foster care, kinship care) due to concerns such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, illness, substance abuse, or legal problems (Billing et al., 2002, Pears et al., 2008).

The federal government recently established memorandums between Child Welfare and the offices of both Head Start and Child Care to increase access to quality early care and education programs (ECE) for children involved in the Child Welfare System, including those living in non-parental care (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families, 2011a, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families, 2011b). In order for ECE programs to be successful at improving school readiness outcomes for children from high-risk backgrounds, such as those living in non-parental care, they must meet children's specific and diverse needs. Children who have had early adverse experiences (e.g., maltreatment) may respond to ECE programs differently than others. Yet very little is known about how children's risk factors play a role in the effects of ECE experiences on school readiness outcomes. The current study takes an important step in this line of work by examining the role of ECE quality and quantity during the prekindergarten year for children living in non-parental care compared to other children from socioeconomically at-risk backgrounds. We focus on externalizing behavior problems as an index of school readiness because children living in non-parental care are particularly vulnerable in this domain (e.g., Billing et al., 2002, Stahmer et al., 2005).

Section snippets

Children living in non-parental care

In the current study, non-parental care is defined as a primary caregiver who self-identifies as someone other than a biological, adoptive, or step-parent. Almost 80% of children in the United States who are not living with a parent live with other relatives (often called kinship care), and most of these children are not in a formal foster care arrangement (Denby, 2011). Children living in non-parental care face risks that may compromise their development in nearly every domain, making it

Early care and education (ECE)

Evidence from studies of children who live with their parents consistently shows that ECE experiences play a significant role in development across a wide variety of areas relevant to school readiness, including behavior and early academics (Belsky, Bakermans-Kranenburg and van Ijzendoorn, 2007, Belsky, Burchinal, et al., 2007, Magnuson and Waldfogel, 2005 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network [NICHD ECCRN], 2005). Although the size of these

Current study

The current study examined data from the Head Start Impact Study (U.S. DHHS, 2010a). The focus of the current analysis was to estimate the effects of children's experiences of ECE quality and quantity during the prekindergarten year, rather than testing the impact of Head Start, and to compare these effects for children living in non-parental care to other children from socioeconomically at-risk backgrounds (eligible for Head Start) living with their parents. We expected that the main effects

Participants

This study uses data from the Head Start Impact Study, but investigates effects of ECE quality and quantity across all center-based ECE programs in the prekindergarten year rather than examining the impact of Head Start. The HSIS is a national study that randomly assigned two cohorts of 3- and 4-year old children to a Head Start (n = 2783) or community comparison group (n = 1884) to evaluate the effectiveness of Head Start on school readiness outcomes (U.S. DHHS, 2010a). Unequal sample sizes for

Preliminary results

Comparison tests revealed no significant differences between the full sample and the non-parental care sample on process quality, quantity, or teacher–child closeness. Significant group differences did emerge for teacher–child conflict, t(2577) =  2.27, p = .02 (M = 13.65 for full sample, M = 14.75 for non-parental care sample). Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations can be found in Table 1, Table 2. Teacher–child closeness, teacher–child conflict, and prekindergarten quantity were

Discussion

The current study offers a first look at the effects of prekindergarten quantity and quality on the development of externalizing behavior problems for children who live in non-parental care (the primary caregiver for the child was not a biological, adoptive, or step-parent). In the current study, most of these children lived with relatives (primarily grandmothers) and experienced at least one transition between primary caregivers from 2002 to 2006. Consistent with evidence from prior research,

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