Early Head Start Project
Principal Investigator: David Pollio, PhD, Evaluator
Funder: Youth in Need collaborative; Administration for Children & Families (DHHS-ACF 9074 CO493)
Timeframe: Funded 05/98-08/06
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR)Project Staff: Karen Truscott, MSW, Coordinator
Participating Organizations: not described on this page
Project Contact: Karen Truscott (Coordinator)
(314) 935-7981
ktruscott@gwbmail.wustl.eduProject Update as of 01/25/2008:
Stage: not described on this page
Description:
Dr. David Pollio led this evaluation of the five-year, Youth in Need Early Head Start (EHS) Project. This program targeted infants, toddlers, and families living in the most disadvantaged rural areas of St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties in Missouri. The goal of the Early Head Start program is to enhance children's emotional, intellectual, physical, and social development while helping parents achieve self-sufficiency. At-risk families were provided with a variety of services, both in-home and at various community agencies, aimed at increasing parenting skills and providing support for creating a positive environment for infant development. The evaluation consisted of repeated implementation of standardized developmental tests for program participants and a comparison population of families not receiving intensive services. The research examined the impact of EHS relative to similar families not receiving intensive interventions on achieving normative developmental milestones, as well as decreases in the intervention families in systemic involvement (e.g., fewer CPS reports being filed or use of mental health services).
In 2001, we added a second site for our evaluation, including Grace Hill Neighborhood Services as a new partner in this evaluation.