eNotes
February 16, 2018In this Issue:
- Graduates of Early Childhood Program Show Greater Educational Outcomes Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Quality Childcare Combats Maternal Depression (Video) Source: Child Trends
- Know When Not to Screen Source: The ECHO Initiative
- Early Childhood Education Report 2017 Source: Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
1. Graduates of Early Childhood Program Show Greater Educational Outcomes
The National Institutes of Health recently announced findings from a multi-year study involving 1400 children through 35 years of age that provides new evidence that quality early education (preschool through third grade) promotes positive academic outcomes into adulthood. The families in the study all lived in impoverished neighborhoods and participated in the Chicago Child-Parent Center Program providing school-based educational and family services. Findings revealed a 48% higher rate of post-secondary degree completion among those with four to six years in the program. The full report can be found in the January 29, 2018 issue of JAMA Pediatrics.
2. Quality Childcare Combats Maternal Depression (Video)
Child Trends released a new video (January 2018), in English and Spanish, about a Canadian study that revealed how quality childcare impacts children of mothers suffering from depression, a primary cause of disability worldwide. Children of depressed caregivers exhibit difficulties with social functioning and have a higher risk of emotional and behavioral problems. The study surveyed 264 families over a three year period and found that children attending high quality childcare during preschool years were less likely to exhibit hyperactivity and inattention behaviors as compared to children attending low quality childcare.
3. Know When Not to Screen
The ECHO Initiative released a resource in its February 2018 issue of Probes & Tips that offers a list of situations to consider before screening a child's hearing. For example, if the practitioner notices a Cochlear implant, a significant ear malformation, drainage, or a blocked ear canal, screening should not be attempted. For additional newsletter issues from ECHO, visit: http://www.infanthearing.org/earlychildhood/newsletter.html
4. Early Childhood Education Report 2017
The Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development released Canada's Early Childhood Education Report 2017 (February 2018) that reviews both outcomes and challenges in Canada's public early education. Canada spent nearly $11.7 billion on educational programs for young children, and over half of its preschoolers attended an early childhood program. As seen in the U.S., Canada's provinces struggle with inequity, and its early childhood programs vary in funding, quality and access.
The Early Childhood Education Report was first published in 2011, and is released every three years to evaluate the quality of provincial/territorial early childhood services across a 15-point scale. The report covers five categories with set benchmarks to measure quality programming.