A Two‐Generation Education Intervention and Children’s Attendance in Head Start

Abstract

Two-generation human capital programs seek to promote the education of parents and children simultaneously. This study examines relations between family participation in CareerAdvance, which recruits parents of Head Start children into a workforce training program, and children's Head Start attendance. The sample included 293 children (on average 4 years old) and their parents. After one semester, CareerAdvance children demonstrated higher rates of attendance and lower rates of absence and chronic absence (missing 10% or more of school days) than matched comparison children. These associations were similar across a range of high-and low-risk subgroups at baseline. These findings are discussed in terms of the implications of a family systems approach for improving children's Head Start attendance. Early childhood education, including Head Start, has become a central policy lever for expanding opportunity, especially among low-income children in the United States (

The Role of Parent Educational Attainment in Parenting and Children’s Development

“…CareerAdvance offers lifelong educational knowledge and skills to parents while also providing the necessary financial and social support in the short term. A recent quasi-experimental evaluation of CareerAdvance shows promising results for boosting parents' educational attainment (Chase-Lansdale et al, 2019) and children's attendance in Head Start (Sommer et al, 2020). CareerAdvance focuses on change at the individual family level, but results from evaluations of such programs have the potential to produce largerscale changes at the policy level.…”

“…Education can improve a family's long-term outcomes, but it will not pay bills and provide food, clothing, and medical necessities in the short term. An example of a policy solution designed to address these barriers is (Sommer et al, 2020).…”

Intergenerational Economic Mobility for Low-Income Parents and Their Children: A Dual Developmental Science Framework

“…After 2 years, CareerAdvance participants also had greater household income and improved physical health and improved psychological wellbeing compared to matched comparison parents (Chor et al 2020). Among children, the program was associated with improved attendance and reductions in chronic absenteeism after 5 months (Sommer et al 2020). CareerAdvance did not have an average effect on child outcomes over and above the benefits of high-quality Head Start services, with the notable exception of increases in inhibitory skills after 1 year.…”

The Role of Parent Educational Attainment in Parenting and Children's Development

“…CareerAdvance offers life-long educational knowledge and skills to parents while also providing the necessary financial and social support in the short-term. Excitingly, a recent quasi-experimental evaluation of CareerAdvance shows promising results for boosting parents' educational attainment (Chase-Lansdale et al, 2019) and children's attendance in Head Start (Sommer et al, 2020). CareerAdvance focuses on change at the individual family level but results from evaluations of such programs have the potential to produce larger-scale changes at the policy level.…”