Early-childhood programs that focus on building low-income parents’ social supports and making their interactions with their children more positive can improve the long-term outcomes for children in poverty, according to an online-first report out this month in the journal Child Development.
The authors, led by Oklahoma State University researcher Amanda Morris, analyzed early-childhood health programs that incorporate home visits by health professionals to work with families, including Family Check-Up, and the Positive Parenting Program. The researchers found programs that help parents build up their own skills and social networks can help mitigate stress from poverty in children.
