EDHD- ECE Current Projects and Collaborations

Healthy Attachment Promotion for Parents and Infants (HAPPI)

Project HAPPI, Healthy Attachment Promotion for Parents and Infants, is a collaboration between the University of Maryland and the United Planning Organization (an organization that administers several comprehensive, center-based child development programs for infants and toddlers in Washington, DC) designed to implement and evaluate an Early Head Start (EHS) infant mental health intervention. Participants include mother-child dyads deemed to be at risk for at least one of three risk factors: maternal depression, maternal substance abuse, and/or child maltreatment. Each mother-child dyad is randomly assigned to one of the following groups, where they will receive either a) traditional EHS services only, or b) traditional EHS services in addition to the infant mental health intervention. The one-year infant mental health intervention consists of biweekly home visitation, biweekly parent-child groups (i.e., group socialization), and monthly training and consultation with center caregivers. Home visiting staff and center-based caregivers/teachers receive training on infant mental health prior to the intervention, and home visiting staff receives ongoing training and support throughout the intervention period. Assessment of the two groups is performed via multiple data collection methods, including videotaped sessions and direct child assessment. The researchers hypothesize that the intervention will improve parental functioning, enhance parent-child relationships, and promote child emotional well-being.

Healthy Attachment Promotion for Parents and Infants: Fathers Study

The Healthy Attachment Promotion for Parents and Infants: Fathers Study is a longitudinal study of fathers and mothers whose children aged 0 to 3 years are enrolled in Early Head Start. Families are seen in the home and EHS center, wherever convenient for the family. Protocols include an interview of questionnaires ranging from family demographics to parent involvement to mental health. Parents are also separately videotaped in free and semi-structured play with their children. Children are assessed for cognitive, language, behavioral, and socioemotional development. The goals of the study are (1) to understand the nature, frequency, and type of father-child interactions in a very disadvantaged sample of families; (2) to understand how mother-father relationships influence mother-child and father-child interactions at present and over time; and (3) to understand how father and mothers' involvement influences the development of children during their early years with measures paralleling work at the New York University allowing for future comparison and analysis.

Science for Early Education through the Development and Learning of Elementary Teachers (SEEDLET)

Science for Early Education through the Development and Learning of Elementary Teachers (SEEDLET) is an exploratory research project in the early stages of development. It is designed to examine the impact of a teacher professional development program in science on beginning and experienced teachers, students and parents in an established professional development school network. The long term goal of the project is to increase opportunities for children to learn science, through innovative approaches to teacher education, professional development and informal science learning, and includes these objectives: 1) Develop a continuum of pre-professional and professional development activities supporting the enhancement of science for early elementary school teachers; 2) Develop strategies to enhance science learning in primary schools with a high concentration of low-income, minority and ELL students; and 3) Expand opportunities to learn science through the infusion of science content into literacy activities, and the extension of science beyond the classroom with parent involvement in informal activities in collaboration with local naturalist education settings. Outcomes will be examined in terms of: 1) changes in novice and expert teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about science, and their understanding of science content and science pedagogy; 2) children’s understanding of science content and literacy comprehension; 3) parents’ beliefs and attitudes about their role as effective science partners with their children both in and out of school.