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Beyond Barriers: The Relationship between Head Start Parents' Social Capital, Their Involvement, and Children's Preschool Competencies

Description:
Grounded in Head Start's commitment to parent involvement, this proposed study will explore whether parents' social networks and resources indirectly affect children's preschool competencies through parent involvement in learning at home and in Head Start among Puerto Rican, non-Hispanic White, and Latino immigrant families. In order to maximize parent involvement, programs can address barriers to involvement that many parents, especially immigrant and ethnic minority parents, face, including schedule conflicts, childcare needs, and work obligations (Lamb-Parker et al., 2001). In addition, programs might also boost factors that positively influence parent involvement and influence children's preschool competencies. One such factor is social capital, or resources exchanged within social networks (Bourdieu, 1986). Race and ethnicity appear to influence the nature of social capital that parents deploy to support their children's education (Diamond, Wang, & Gomez, 2006; Louie, 2006). The relationships among social capital, parent involvement, and children's outcomes in ethnically diverse families have not been simultaneously examined in Head Start. The proposed study will extend prior research by examining social capital, parent involvement, and children's preschool competencies in Puerto Rican, non-Hispanic White, and Latino immigrant families in Head Start (n=250). Data will be gathered through interviews, parent questionnaires and child preschool competency assessments. Descriptive analyses will describe the characteristics of parents' social capital, and a path model will be tested that posits parent involvement as a mediator of the relationship between social capital and children's preschool competencies. Findings will inform Head Start strategies to build parent involvement and support children's school readiness in families of different ethnic backgrounds.
Resource Type:
Administration for Children and Families/OPRE Projects
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Related resources include summaries, versions, measures (instruments), or other resources in which the current document plays a part. Research products funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation are related to their project records.

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