We aimed to understand the relation between child maltreatment and SPED service evaluation referrals in childcare settings. Extant data (n = 1,354) from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) was used to address the study aims. Results indicated that the odds of teacher-initiated service evaluation referrals at age 6 were 2.5 times higher for boys than girls. Results for model 2 indicated that parental perception of the need for services was 2.6 times higher for children who were screened for developmental delays and 0.08 times lower for children who attended center-based childcare or preschool. Early identification and intervention are critical to improving the long-term outcomes for young children with disabilities. More research is needed to understand how to accurately make referrals for evaluation of SPED service needs and how to best support early childhood educators in accurately and effectively referring students for evaluation of SPED service needs.

IntroductionIn partnership with an urban school district Head Start program, we created a set of intervention supports that built upon the strengths of the district program services already in place.MethodsWe conducted a randomized control trial to test the use of natural helpers (teachers, special education coaches, and curriculum specialists) participating in practice-based coaching and monthly communities of practice, to augment a districtwide universal social-emotional program, The Pyramid Model for Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. Participants included 53 preschool teachers and 519 preschool children, across 26 classrooms, and 9 schools in a high poverty area of the district. Teachers were randomized to a waitlist control or intervention condition. Intervention teachers participated in practice-based coaching and monthly communities of practice over the course of two years.ResultsSignificant effects were found on participating intervention teachers’ observed increased implementation of positive social-emotional practices in the classroom, decreases in red flags (observed teaching behaviors counter to the Pyramid Model), and increased teacher reports of self-efficacy in the intervention group, compared to control teachers. No significant impacts on child classroom behavior problems, self-regulation, or approaches to learning skills were found for children enrolled in intervention classrooms, compared to children in the control classrooms.DiscussionFuture directions for research and implications for practice are discussed.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers of young children in communities of color.BackgroundCOVID-19 has disproportionately affected people of color, with adverse impacts on family functioning and well-being. However, few studies have examined the longer-term psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of caregivers of young children. As of the 2020 Census, Miami-Dade County was home to almost 130,000 young children ages 0-5, has a minority-majority population, and was an epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodData from the COVID Risk and Resilience Survey collected over a 2-year period were used to conduct a path analysis predicting caregiver depression and anxiety in 2022 from caregiver stress and child behavioral problems in March 2020 and caregiver self-efficacy and use of coping skills in June 2020. The final model included 325 participants.ResultsThe results suggest that caregiver experiences of stress and behavioral concerns for their children in the early COVID-19 pandemic affected their mental health after 2 years, but caregiver use of effective coping strategies helped reduce their later anxiety and depression symptoms.ConclusionCOVID-19 had significant psychological impacts on caregivers of young children.ImplicationsUnderstanding the impact of the pandemic on families can help community organizations and schools develop policies to better meet the longer-term needs of families with young children during pandemics and other widespread stressful events.

Geographic disparities threaten equitable access for children to health-promoting safe green spaces, and quality early education in the communities in which they live and grow. To address gaps in the field, we integrated the fields of developmental psychology, public health, and environmental science to examine, at the population level, associations between the environmental burden, socioeconomic vulnerability, and kindergarten readiness in a diverse urban county. Three administrative datasets were integrated through an early childhood data sharing research partnership in Miami-Dade County. The Bruner Child Raising Vulnerability Index, the five domains of the Environmental Burden module from the Environmental Justice Index, and public school kindergarten readiness scores were aggregated at the census tract level. Analysis of variance and multiple regression analyses found associations between socioeconomic vulnerability and race/ethnicity. The socioeconomic vulnerability levels were highest in census tracts with a higher percentage of Black residents, compared to all other races/ethnicities. Areas of greater social vulnerability had lower kindergarten readiness and a higher environmental burden. A higher environmental burden predicted lower kindergarten readiness scores above and beyond race/ethnicity and socioeconomic vulnerability. The findings advance our understanding of global challenges to sustainable healthy child development, such as the persistence of a disproportionate environmental burden and inequitable access to resources such as green spaces and early education programs. The present study results can inform community health improvement plans to reduce risk exposures and promote greater access to positive environmental and educational resources for all children.

Attendance plays an important role in student academic success; yet few studies examine associations between preschool attendance rates and academic skills for children enrolled in early childhood programs. To address this gap, this population-based study examined associations between preschool attendance rates and language, literacy and mathematics skill growth for a cohort of four-year-old children (N = 20,414) enrolled in a state-funded public prekindergarten program within an urban county (N = 1,720 classrooms, N = 922 programs). Measures included linked administrative data on preschool attendance and program-administered direct assessments of oral language, literacy, and mathematics. Latent growth curve analysis (LGCA) found that attendance rates were associated with greater rates of change in all academic skills across the preschool year, controlling for child demographic covariates, preschool program provider type, and neighborhood risk. In addition, higher attendance benefited children more who entered preschool with lower initial academic skills as compared to children who entered preschool with higher academic skills. Implications of the findings, including future directions, and application to early childhood education policy and practice are shared.

The present study validated a newly developed easy-to-use observational instrument, the Health Environment Rating Scale-Early Childhood Consultation-Classroom version (HERS-ECC-C), to measure the quality of the classroom environment within early care and education centers participating in a mental health consultation program in a diverse area of the southeastern United States. Using a confirmatory factor analysis, three factors emerged capturing critical aspects of a high-quality classroom environment and demonstrated good reliability: (1) Supportive Practices, Positive Socioemotional Practices, and Classroom Management (α = .88), (2) Health and Family Communication (α = .79), and (3) Individualizing to Children's Needs (α = .80). Criterion-related validity was established through concurrent associations between the three HERS-ECC-C subscales and the domains of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and predictive associations with the Childcare Worker Job Stress Inventory. The HERS-ECC-C Supportive Practices and Health and Family Communication subscales were associated with all three CLASS domains, and the Individualizing to Children's Needs subscale was associated with the CLASS Instructional support domain. Higher HERS-ECC-C subscale scores were associated with lower teacher-reported job stress. Findings provide initial evidence to support the use and continued development of the HERS-ECC-C as a tool to evaluate programs and classrooms engaged in mental health consultation professional development interventions.

Background: Students who have experienced adversity tend to demonstrate poorer academic outcomes than their non-maltreated peers. Academic engagement, a multidimensional, motivational construct, associated with a myriad of positive academic outcomes is an important academically-related mechanism that can be leveraged to improve the outcomes of this population.Objective: The present study aimed to better understanding of how engagement develops in the context of adversity by exploring the effects emotion regulation skills and parent-child relationships have on engagement development. Participants and setting: Analyses were conducted on 795 participants in the NSCAW dataset. Methods: Path analysis was used to estimate mediation and moderated mediation models.Results: Emotion regulation skills significantly mediated the effect experiencing trauma symptoms had on engagement. Parent-child relationship quality moderated the mediation effect emotion regulation skills had on the relationship between experiencing trauma symptoms and engagement.Conclusions: Emotion regulation skills and parent-child relationship quality are potential intervention targets to improve engagement for students who have experienced adversity.

Abstract Introduction: iLookOut, a web-based child abuse training for early childcare professionals (ECPs), has been shown to improve knowledge and attitudes related to correctly identifying and reporting suspected cases of child abuse. The overarching goal of the present study is to examine “what works for whom” for iLookOut in order to identify strategies for optimizing learner outcomes. Methods: This prospective study enrolled 12,705 ECPs who completed iLookOut (November 2014–December 2018). We used structural equation models to test whether learner demographic and professional characteristics were differentially associated with implementation outcomes (i.e., acceptability and appropriateness) and whether these mediated subsequent indicators of training effectiveness (i.e., gains in knowledge). Results: Consistent with previous research, individuals with lower baseline knowledge scores showed greater knowledge gains (β = −.57; p < .001). Greater knowledge gains were seen for learners who reported higher acceptability (β = .08; p < .001) or appropriateness (β = .14; p < .001). Implementation outcomes strongly associated with knowledge gains included acceptability for female learners and appropriateness for learners who had not completed high school or had >15 years of experience in childcare settings. Where mediation was found, for the majority of groups, appropriateness emerged as the driving mediator. Conclusion: Implementation outcomes emerged as important drivers of knowledge change for most groups. The iLookOut Core Training’s use of a multimedia learning environment, video-based storylines, and game-based techniques were endorsed by learners and correlated with increases in knowledge. Future work should explore why aspects of the iLookOut training are rated as less acceptable or appropriate by some groups and what changes would improve efficacy for low performing learners.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and bullying victimization are well-established risk factors for deliberate self-harm (DSH) and suicidal ideation (SI). Research ties aspects of self-concept, such as self-esteem, with victimization and self-harm. Yet, there is limited evidence of the role of multidimensional self-concept in the victimization-self-harm association. Using a longitudinal sample of 422 adolescent girls from a large midwestern city, 35% with recently substantiated CSA-exposure and 51% with recent bullying victimization at baseline, we examined pathways from CSA-exposure and bullying victimization to subsequent DSH and SI, with global self-worth and five subscales of self-concept as mediators (social competence, close friendships, physical appearance, scholastic competence, and behavioral conduct). Data was collected from 2012 to 2015. CSA-exposure directly increased the risk of both SI (B .50, SE .23, p < .05) and DSH (B .53, SE .22, p < 5), while global self-worth fully mediated the relationship between bullying victimization, SI (B .21, SE .07, 95% BCB-CI 1.17-1.95, p < .01), and DSH (B .15, SE .06, 95% BCB-CI 1.10-1.69, p < .05), We found no evidence of mediation for the subscales model. Both CSA-exposure and bullying victimization directly reduced specific subscales of self-concept, while behavioral conduct increased the risk of DSH. The role of self-concept in the bullying/self-harm association and the direct effects of CSA-exposure on self-harm highlight areas of need in social work practice, specifically the need to incorporate an emphasis on trusting relationships, overall well-being, and the reduction of shame into trauma-informed therapy and bullying prevention efforts.

Background: Children with maltreatment histories demonstrate weaker reading abilities compared to their peers. However, the differential processes driving this effect remain unclear. Prior studies focused on social and behavioral factors explaining this effect, yet reading research has shown that one's ability to comprehend written text is driven by a set of underlying dynamic and interactive cognitive abilities. Objective: This systematic review sought to understand what theoretical or conceptual frameworks researchers cited as guiding their studies, what reading processes and abilities were studied as outcomes, how reading processes or abilities were measured, and what constructs were included to help understand the relationship between maltreatment and reading. Method: Three databases were searched for empirical peer-reviewed journal articles. Articles retained using inclusion and exclusion criteria were coded based on their sample characteristics, reference to theoretical or conceptual frameworks, reading processes and abilities measured, and included predictors of reading. Procedures were documented using the reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement (Moher et al., 2009). Results: Twenty-seven studies were included in the final systematic review. Those that discussed theoretical or conceptual frameworks focused on the social and behavioral predictors of reading. Many studies (51.9 %) examined effects of maltreatment on reading achievement, rather than specific reading processes or abilities. Most studies (92.6 %) used at least one standardized reading measure. However, only four studies included cognitive abilities as potential predictor variables. Conclusions: Future research could benefit from investigating specific cognitive and readingrelated processes, using measures to examine specific reading processes leading to breakdowns in reading achievement, and incorporation of reading theories to drive research questions and methods.

Background: Students who experience maltreatment tend to underperform academically relative to their peers, requiring an understanding of academically-related mechanisms that are potential intervention targets. Academic engagement, a multidimensional construct that is influential in students' investment in learning and the school context, is one such mechanism that has been associated with positive academic outcomes and develops through interactions between students and their environment. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine how maltreatment experiences and trauma symptoms were indirectly associated with academic achievement in adolescence through academic engagement. Participants and setting: The study was conducting on a subsample of 583 youths from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing II (NSCAW II) cohort. Methods: Structural equation modeling was used to examine the indirect effect engagement on the relationship between maltreatment and trauma symptomology and academic achievement. Results: Academic engagement significantly mediated trauma symptoms and later standardized reading (beta = -0.02; 95 % CI [-0.04, - 0.0004]) and math (beta = -0.02; 95 % CI [-0.05, - 0.0003]) achievement test scores. However, similar mediating effects were not found for engagement on maltreatment and later standardized reading (beta = -0.01; 95 % CI [-0.03, 0.01]) and math (beta = -0.01; 95 % CI [-0.03, 0.01]) achievement test scores. Conclusions: These findings suggest that variability in academic outcomes was indirectly associated with engagement but only for students who exhibited trauma symptoms rather than experiencing maltreatment alone. The findings suggest future researchers should consider engagement should as an academically-related mechanism to help students who were maltreated succeed academically.