Participation in Early Childhood Home Visiting: The Role of Family, Ethnic, and Community Factors

Authors

  • Patricia Williams University of Maine at Farmington
  • Emily Caille

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55370/hsdialog.v16i1.53

Keywords:

home visiting, community, Latino, risk factors, literacy

Abstract

Participant ethnicity, family risks, resources, and community characteristics influence participation in many different types of early childhood home visiting programs. However, few studies have examined their influence on family participation in literacy-focused home visiting efforts. A sample of 539 families enrolled in one of 25 Parent Child Home Program (PCHP) sites in Massachusetts was tracked from program entry to exit. Families were less likely to complete programs if they were non-Latino and experienced more family educational risks; the ESL rate in their community of residence was predictive of program completion for Latino families. Length of participation was predicted by ethnicity, child age at entry, family involvement in formal school settings, and the graduation rate in the community where the family resides. Implications of study findings for decreasing barriers to program completion and developing long-term associations between home visiting programs and families are considered.

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Published

2013-04-05

Issue

Section

Research-to-Practice Summaries