Dosage Effects of Head Start Enrollment on Parental Involvement: Moderating Effects for Quality of Center-Based Care

Purpose:   Head Start programs put a strong emphasis on parental involvement in children’s schoolings, which intends to make them educators for their children even after children exit the Head Start program. Despite an overall agreement on Head Start’s overall positive impacts on children’s outcomes, the Head Start program’s impact on parental outcomes has not been examined extensively. Based on Head Start Impact Study (HSIS), the current study examinse (1) whether dosage of Head Start enrollment has any impacts on parental involvement, (2) whether the dosage effects of Head Stat enrollment on parental involvement differ depending on quality of center-based care, and (3) what are the child and family characteristics associated with less years of Head Start enrollment and lower quality of child care.

Methods:  The present study used the Head Start Impact data (HSIS) collected for the period of 2002-2006 (n = 4442). Children who enrolled in center-based child care program (including Head Start) were selected (n = 2,762). Children were divided into 4 groups depending on the number of years enrolled in Head Start: children who had never enrolled (n=306), those who enrolled for 2 years (n=783), those who enrolled for 3 years (n=1035), and those who enrolled for 4 or more years (n = 638).  The number of school activities in which parents participated  was  measured when children were 5-6 years old.  A composite score for quality care was computed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale—Revised Edition, Family Day Care Rating Scale, and Arnett Caregiver Interaction Scale (range 0 to 1, mean = 0.6145).  The characteristics of child and family were included. Several steps of ordinary regression analyses were conducted to examine the research questions.

Results:   This study found that parents whose children enrolled in more years of Head Start tend to participate in schools more than parents whose children enrolled in less years of Head Start. However, the quality of care setting moderated the dosage effects of Head Start enrollment on parental involvement. That is, when the children attend lower quality center-based care (composite quality score less than quartile point of 0.5485), parents whose children had never enrolled (or enrolled 2 years) in Head Start participated significantly less than parents of children who enrolled Head Start 4 years.  The dosage effect was not found when the children attended higher quality center-based care (composite quality score greater than 3 quartile points of 0.7684). Children living in rural areas and living with less educated parents tend to attend less years of Head Start.  Further, black children and children living with single mothers, children who had never (or fewer years) had Head Start enrollment were cared by lower quality center-based care.  

Conclusions and Implications:  The current study found  positive dosage effects of Head Start enrollment on parental involvement. However, Head Start admits only a limited number of eligible families. Head Start opportunity should be given to the most needed children and families, along with enhancement of quality of all child care arrangement.