Extending and Enriching Head Start Home Visits with Evidence-Based Intervention Components: Implementation Outcomes and Impact

Introduction: The Head Start REDI Parenting program (REDI-P) extended the number of home visits offered to parents of prekindergarten children attending Head Start, and infused them with research-based intervention components. REDI-P added books, learning activities, and games for parents to use with their children, and included “booster” sessions for parents after children transitioned into kindergarten. Positive parenting strategies were emphasized in modeling videotapes and discussions.

Methods: Participants included two cohorts of four-year-old children (total N = 210, 55 % girls; 20 % Hispanic, 25 % African-American, 55 % European American) and their primary caregivers, randomly assigned at the level of the child to receive the intervention or mail-home math games. The REDI-P intervention included twice-monthly home visits (10 in prekindergarten, 6 in kindergarten), along with monthly “REDI activity club” boxes containing books and learning games.

Results: 52% of eligible Head Start parents indicated interest in study participation. Of those randomly assigned to intervention, 80% received at least 8 of 10 supplemental Head Start home visits, and 65% received at least 5 out of 6 kindergarten “booster” sessions. Only 11% of families were minimally engaged across both time periods. At post-treatment, intervention parents, relative to the control group, reported more frequent parent-child conversation (d = .24) and more interactive reading (d = .29).  Intervention effects on parenting were greatest for parents of aggressive-disruptive children, who also reported greater declines in daily hassles (d = .27).  However, direct observations did not show any significant differences in parent-child interaction quality.  Children who received REDI-P home visiting showed improved literacy skills (d = .26 to .34, p < .05) and teacher-rated social competence (d = .30, p < .03) in kindergarten.

Conclusions: Over half of the parents in Head Start expressed interest in and followed through with an extended home visiting program that provided books and learning games for use at home.  Although the quality of parent-child interaction did not improve, parents talked with and read with their children more often, promoting positive academic and social gains in kindergarten.  Enriching Head Start home visits with evidence-based programming holds promise for improving the sustained impact of Head Start on children’s school success.