Use of Paid Child Care Health Care Consultants in Early Care and Education Settings: Results of a National Study Comparing Provision of Health Screening Services Among Head Start and Non-Head Start Centers

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 427-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Hanna ◽  
Rahel Mathews ◽  
Linda H. Southward ◽  
Ginger W. Cross ◽  
Jonathan Kotch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Head Start ◽  
Health Screening ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
National Study ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Care Health ◽  
Screening Services

scholarly journals Table Talk: development of an observational tool to assess verbal feeding communications in early care and education settings

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 2869-2877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taren Swindle ◽  
Julie M Rutledge ◽  
Belynda Dix ◽  
Leanne Whiteside-Mansell
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Observational Tool ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Table Talk ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Trained Observers

AbstractObjectiveChildren’s dietary intake impacts weight status and a range of short- and long-term health outcomes. Accurate measurement of factors that influence children’s diet is critical to the development and evaluation of interventions designed to improve children’s diets. The purpose of the current paper is to present the development of the Table Talk observational tool to measure early care and education teachers’ (ECET) verbal feeding communications.DesignAn observational tool to assess ECET verbal communication at mealtimes was deigned based on the extant literature. Trained observers conducted observations using the tool during lunch for both lead and assistant ECET. Descriptive statistics, test–retest for a subgroup, interclass correlations for each item, and comparisons between leads and assistants were conducted.SettingHead Start centres, Southern USA.SubjectsSeventy-five Head Start educators.ResultsOn average, 17·2 total verbal feeding communications (sd8·9) were observed per ECET. For lead ECET, the most prevalent Supportive Comment was Exploring Foods whereas for assistants Making Positive Comments was the most prevalent. Overall, lead ECET enacted more Supportive Comments than assistant ECET (F(2,72)=4·8,P=0·03). The most common Unsupportive Comment was Pressuring to Eat, with a mean of 3·8 (sd4·3) and a maximum of 25. There was no difference in Unsupportive Comments between lead and assistant ECET.ConclusionsTable Talk may be a useful tool to assess verbal feeding communications of ECET, with potential applications such as informing ECET training and assessing intervention efforts.

Process Evaluation of an Early Care and Education Intervention: The California Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study (CA-CORD)

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shih-Fan Lin ◽  
Amy Binggeli-Vallarta ◽  
Griselda Cervantes ◽  
Janette Angulo ◽  
Jamie S. Moody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Latino Children ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Obesity Research

Given the widespread use of out-of-home child care in the United States, early care and education (ECE) providers offer ideal settings to promote health behaviors among Hispanic/Latino children whose obesity prevalence remains high. This study details the process evaluation of ECE intervention strategies of a childhood obesity research demonstration study (California Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration [CA-CORD]) to prevent and control obesity among Hispanic/Latino children aged 2 to 12 years. Participating ECE providers received the Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC) materials and action planning sessions with a trained interventionist; Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) physical activity (PA), health behavior, and body mass index assessment trainings; and health behavior toolkit, cooking kit, water dispensers, and posters to promote healthy eating, PA, water consumption, and quality sleep. Intervention logs and director/lead teacher interviews evaluated how well 14 center-based and 9 private ECE providers implemented policy, system, and environmental changes. NAP SACC was implemented with higher fidelity than other strategies, and participation in SPARK trainings was lower than health behavior trainings. ECE directors/lead teachers reported that the intervention activities and materials helped them promote the targeted behaviors, especially PA. Results demonstrated that the use of NAP SACC, trainings, and toolkit had high fidelity and were potentially replicable for implementation in ECE settings among Hispanic/Latino communities.

Training To Ensure Healthy Child Day-Care Programs

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 1108-1110
Author(s):  
Abby Shapiro Kendrick
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Training System ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Child Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Field Orientation ◽  
Ongoing Training ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Orientation Training

Training in child care assumes a number of forms. There is pre-service training (needed before entering the field); orientation training (received when first on the job, highlighting the most essential skills, tasks and knowledge needed to begin the job); and ongoing training (required by regulation or recommended periodically for current staff). Despite the fact that training is known to have a positive effect on the field of early care and education, the current training system is fraught with problems. A 1991 national survey conducted by the Wheelock College Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education found that at least one of three key informants in 59% of states said "training is fragmented, random, scattershot, and not based on the needs of the field."1 The licensing system requires minimal training and experience. For teachers in child-care centers, five states require no training, four states require pre-service training, 29 states require only ongoing training, and 14 states require both pre-service and ongoing training. Few states require more than 10 hours of annual ongoing training for any child-care professionals. For family child-care providers, the numbers are even lower: 24 states require no training and only 12 states require annual ongoing training.1 If first aid and cardiaopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification are required, there is little time for any other training. In addition to limited funds to support training and limited incentives for providers, administrators, on funders to invest in training, other well-known barriers to implementing systematic and coordinated training efforts include the following items:

Early Care and Education Teacher’s Role in Obesity Prevention and Healthy Development of Young American Indian Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea L. Kracht ◽  
Susan B. Sisson ◽  
Devon Walker ◽  
Kelly Kerr ◽  
Lancer Stephens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
American Indian ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Indian Children

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how stakeholders, specifically early care and education (ECE) teachers, perceive their role in the development of young American Indian children, and envision working with health care providers and parents in order to enhance children’s health. Methodology: Twenty tribally affiliated ECE teachers from Oklahoma participated in interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted, and three main themes, each with two to three subthemes, emerged. Results: Teachers felt that nutrition and physical activity were important to children’s health. Teachers had little professional interaction with health care providers but desired more. Parental empowerment was conveyed as essential to actualize positive changes in their child’s behavior. Discussion: Teachers of tribally affiliated ECE centers are important stakeholders in promoting the health and well-being of young American Indian children. Additional efforts are needed to more effectively integrate teachers and nurses in order to create effective interventions. We propose a stakeholder partnership to guide the development of future interventions.

scholarly journals State Regulations to Support Children’s Cultural and Religious Food Preferences in Early Care and Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ayers Looby ◽  
Natasha Frost ◽  
Sarah Gonzalez-Nahm ◽  
Elyse R. Grossman ◽  
Julie Ralston Aoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Family Child Care Homes ◽  
Meal Planning ◽  
Nutrition And Dietetics

Abstract Objective In July 2018 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics released a benchmark encouraging early care and education (ECE) programs, including child care centers and family child care homes, to incorporate cultural and religious food preferences of children into meals. We examined the extent to which states were already doing so through their ECE licensing and administrative regulations prior to the release of the benchmark. This review may serve as a baseline to assess future updates, if more states incorporate the benchmark into their regulations. Methods For this cross-sectional study, we reviewed ECE regulations for all 50 states and the District of Columbia (hereafter states) through June 2018. We assessed consistency with the benchmark for centers and homes. We conducted Spearman correlations to estimate associations between the year the regulations were updated and consistency with the benchmark. Results Among centers, eight states fully met the benchmark, 11 partially met the benchmark, and 32 did not meet the benchmark. Similarly for homes, four states fully met the benchmark, 13 partially met the benchmark, and 34 did not meet the benchmark. Meeting the benchmark was not correlated with the year of last update for centers (P = 0.54) or homes (P = 0.31). Conclusions Most states lacked regulations consistent with the benchmark. Health professionals can help encourage ECE programs to consider cultural and religious food preferences of children in meal planning. And, if feasible, states may consider additional regulations supporting cultural and religious preferences of children in future updates to regulations.

Babies and Public Policy

2008 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-149
Author(s):  
Gail McCain
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Head Start ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Infant Growth ◽  
Social Policies ◽  
Growth Development

WE CARE ABOUT GIVING THE BEST CARE TO OUR INFANT patients while they are hospitalized in our nurseries, and we care about their welfare after we discharge them home. We love it when our “graduates” return to visit and they are healthy, growing, and developing appropriately. As nurses and citizens, we need to be aware that all social policies impact infants. The presidential contenders are addressing policies related to health care, poverty, Head Start, immigration, substance abuse, employment, and child care. How we deal with all these issues has the potential to affect infant growth, development, and well-being.

scholarly journals Table Talk: revision of an observational tool to characterize the feeding environment in early care and education settings

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taren Swindle ◽  
Josh Phelps ◽  
Nicole M. McBride ◽  
James P. Selig ◽  
Julie M. Rutledge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Observational Assessment ◽  
Early Care ◽  
Table Talk

Abstract Objective The Table Talk tool is an observational assessment of early care and education teacher (ECET) mealtime practices. The Table Talk Revised (TT-R) tool incorporates new constructs that emerged from qualitative research and teases apart existing categories to improve nuance of data capture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the TT-R, document interrater reliability for the TT-R, and report on ECET feeding communications in broader settings than previously studied (i.e., beyond a single Lunch and Head Start only). Methods Trained observers conducted mealtime observations in classrooms (Nclassroms = 63, 10 sites) during Breakfast and two Lunches for both Lead and Assistant ECETs (N = 126). Classrooms were spread across Head Start in an urban area (60%), Head Starts in a rural area (24%), and a state-funded preschool (16%). Results On average, there were 22.17 (SD = 10.92) total verbal feeding communications at Breakfast, 37.72 (SD = 15.83) at Lunch1, and 34.39 (SD = 15.05) at Lunch2 with meals averaging 25 min. The most commonly observed supportive statement category was Exploring Foods for Lead (Breakfast = 1.61, Lunch1 = 3.23, Lunch2 = 2.70) and Assistant ECETs (Breakfast = .89, Lunch1 = 2.03) except for Lunch2 which was Encourages Trying in a Positive Way (Lunch2 = 1.30). The most commonly observed unsupportive statement category was Firm Behavioral Control for both Lead (Breakfast = 3.61, Lunch1 = 5.84, Lunch2 = 5.51) and Assistants ECETs (Breakfast = 3.11, Lunch1 = 6.38, Lunch2 = 4.32). The majority of Interclass Correlation Coefficients indicating interrater reliability were in the excellent range (64%) for commonly occurring statement categories, and 14 of the 19 low frequency statement categories had > 80% agreement. Conclusions and implications Overall, items added to the Table Talk tool performed well, and interrater reliability was favorable. Our study also documented differences between Lead and Assistant teachers in mealtime practices and illustrated differing patterns of interaction between lunches and breakfast, important findings to inform future research and practice. The TT-R may be a useful measurement tool for monitoring and evaluating ECET practices in mealtime environments as well as informing intervention.

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