Can the age of entry into child care and the quality of child care predict adjustment in kindergarten?

Influences of age of child-care entry, quality of care, and family characteristics on social adjustment were contrasted in a longitudinal study of 80 children. Children at the toddler, preschool, and kindergarten periods and adult socialization in toddler period were assessed. Early-entry children in low-quality care had the most difficulty with peers in preschool and were distractible, low in task orientation, and less considerate of others in kindergarten. In 29 families observed prior to child-care entry, parents who would subsequently enroll children in low vs high quality care had more complex lives and used less appropriate socialization practices. Family socialization best predicted outcomes in children enrolled after infancy, and teacher socialization best predicted outcomes in children enrolled prior to 12 months. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When girls versus boys play alone: Nonsocial play and adjustment in kindergarten.

The goal of the present study was to examine the relations between different forms of children's nonsocial play behaviors and adjustment in kindergarten. The participants in this study were 77 kindergarten children (38 boys, 39 girls; mean age?=?66.16 months, SD?=?4.11 months). Mothers completed ratings of child shyness and emotion dysregulation. Children's nonsocial play behaviors (reticent, solitary-passive, solitary-active) were observed during free play. In addition, teachers rated child behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing) and social competence; academic achievement was assessed through child interviews. Results from regression analyses revealed that different types of nonsocial play were differentially associated with child characteristics and indices of adjustment. For some forms of nonsocial play, the nature of these associations differed significantly for boys and girls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol abuse history and adjustment following spinal cord injury.

Objective: Examined the relation of alcohol abuse history to emotional adjustment and pressure sore occurrence during the 1st 3 years following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Study Design: Comparisons were made between varying levels of prior abuse and depression and disability acceptance. A model predicting pressure sore occurrence over 3 years was computed. Participants: One hundred seventy-five persons completed the self-report measures; 105 were available for pressure sore evaluations. Main Outcome Measures: The Inventory to Diagnose Depression, the Acceptance of Disability Scales, and pressure sore occurrence. Results: Alcohol abuse was not associated with depression or disability acceptance. Severe alcohol abuse history was associated with pressure sores over the 3 years. Conclusions: Persons with prior history of severe alcohol abuse may be at increased risk for pressure sore occurrence during the 1st years of SCI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kinder training: Play-based consultation to improve the school adjustment of discouraged kindergarten and first grade students.

Examined the effects of Kinder Training on selected kindergarten and first grade students' behavior, social skills, and early literacy skills, as well as its effects on teacher behavior in the classroom. Kinder Training involves the teacher in play sessions with a child who is exhibiting discouragement in the classroom. The participants in this study included 7 kindergarten teachers, 4 kindergarten paraprofessionals, 3 first grade teachers, and their 14 selected students (median age 5 yrs, 9 mo). The teacher conducts play sessions while receiving supervision from a counselor, learning skills that are both appropriate for the playroom and valuable for the classroom. As a result of the play sessions, the teacher–student relationship is enhanced, the student feels more encouraged in the classroom, and the teacher transfers the newly obtained skills to his or her work with other students. This transfer included an increase in facilitative statements, encouragement, and limit-setting. Additionally, the teachers decreased the number of praise statements and ineffective limit-setting. The results suggest that Kinder Training is an effective intervention for struggling students and a successful proactive approach for teacher skill development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child adjustment in joint-custody versus sole-custody arrangements: A meta-analytic review.

The author meta-analyzed studies comparing child adjustment in joint physical or joint legal custody with sole-custody settings, including comparisons with paternal custody and intact families where possible. Children in joint physical or legal custody were better adjusted than children in sole-custody settings, but no different from those in intact families. More positive adjustment of joint-custody children held for separate comparisons of general adjustment, family relationships, self-esteem, emotional and behavioral adjustment, and divorce-specific adjustment. Joint-custody parents reported less current and past conflict than did sole-custody parents, but this did not explain the better adjustment of joint-custody children. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that joint custody can be advantageous for children in some cases, possibly by facilitating ongoing positive involvement with both parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal scaffolding of children's problem solving and children's adjustment in kindergarten: Hmong families in the United States.

The study examined relations between maternal scaffolding of children's problem solving and children's adjustment in kindergarten in Hmong families living in the United States. Mothers and their children (63 dyads) were visited the summer before kindergarten. Mothers' years in the United States, age, education, reasoning skills, and parenting beliefs were assessed. Maternal scaffolding (cognitive support, directiveness of instruction, praise, and criticism) was coded while mothers helped their children with school-like tasks. Children's reasoning skills, conscientiousness, autonomous behavior, and task persistence in kindergarten were reported by teachers at the end of kindergarten (54 children). Maternal cognitive support of children's problem solving predicted children's reasoning skills in kindergarten even after controlling for maternal education and reasoning skills. Maternal directive instruction positively predicted children's conscientious behavior and negatively predicted children's autonomous behaviors after controlling for maternal education and parenting beliefs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child responses to parental conflict and their effect on adjustment: A study of triadic relations.

The purpose of this study was to examine child response patterns to parental conflict and assess their contribution to child functioning. The focus was on 3 potential child responses and their relation to later depressive and aggressive behavior. Direct observations and questionnaire data were collected on 156 2-parent families. Aggressive behavior showed the strongest sequential relation to interparental conflict and the strongest predictive relation to increased aggressive functioning. Gender differences were found in the use of child aggressive response patterns. Results for the relation between child responses and increases in depressive functioning were weaker than those found for aggressive functioning. The results provide support for the examination of child response patterns as a potentially rich area of exploration for understanding the family mechanisms affecting both aggressive and depressive functioning in children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child maltreatment polyvictimization: Rates and short-term effects on adjustment in a representative Hong Kong sample.

Objective: This article examines the unique effects of multiple forms of victimization, namely child abuse and neglect (CAN) and exposure to parental intimate partner violence (IPV), on children's self-blame, feelings of being threatened, self-esteem, and ability to control anger. Method: The cross-sectional study recruited a population-based sample of 2,062 children aged 12–17 years in Hong Kong. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from the children. The prevalence rate of the co-occurrence of exposure to IPV and CAN in the Chinese population, and the unique impacts of exposure to IPV and CAN on children were examined. Results: The results show that 13.1% of the children had experienced CAN, and 6.5% had witnessed parental IPV. Among those families characterized by IPV, 61.1% were involved in child abuse in the preceding year of the study. Participants who had experienced both CAN and exposure to parental IPV reported lower levels of self-esteem and higher rates of being aggressive and violent, and feeling threatened. These children also reported the highest levels of feeling that their well-being was threatened and of blaming themselves for parental violence and parental discipline. Conclusions: The findings reemphasize the important need for public policy on child and youth victimization that encourages social workers and Child Protective Services to screen for child polyvictimization in cases of suspected/reported child abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child care research: A case for Canadian national standards.

Research on child care is reviewed with respect to the effects of (1) licensing/regulation and (2) teacher education on the provision of high quality care for young children and developmental outcomes. A model is proposed indicating direct and indirect links between licensing and regulation, teacher education, the quality of child care, and child development outcomes. Discussion focuses on critical differences in American and Canadian demographics and attitudes toward social assistance and how this influences interpretation of research findings. Using the Canadian context as a framework, recommendations are made for national standards regarding (1) licensing and regulation of child care and (2) teacher education. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child care for the 21st century: An overview and commentary.

Contends that the problem of alternative child care in modern society touches on social, cultural, religious, and political attitudes and ideals. In considering proposed solutions, scientists and social policy makers are realizing that providing alternative child care for individual families produces complex repercussions in nearly all spheres of social, economic, and political life. Views are explored on the issue of child care as presented by E. Zigler and P. Ennis; S. Scarr et al; and A. R. Pence (see PA, Vol 76:36300; 36294; and 36288). Prominent psychological trends in the debate on child care, including the decline of the "main effect mentality," the "education vs care" controversy, and the resurgence of the early experience debate are noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child sexual abuse, early family risk, and childhood parentification: Pathways to current psychosocial adjustment.

In this study, the authors examined the role of parentification (children assuming adult-like roles in the family) as it relates to family risk (parental psychopathology, parental illness, and domestic violence), child sexual abuse (CSA), and psychosocial adjustment in 499 college women. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of direct, indirect, and mediational pathways through which CSA, family risk, and parentification contributed to later psychosocial maladjustment. Results indicate that CSA and family risk independently and directly predicted higher levels of maladjustment, but only family risk positively predicted parentification in childhood. Parentification was unexpectedly related to less maladjustment. Parentification failed to mediate the relation between early family risk and maladjustment. Findings suggest that family risk factors may contribute to parentification and that parentification is not always related to poorer psychosocial outcomes. Future research should examine the impact of parentification on other aspects of functioning and should assess how individual, familial, and cultural variables (e.g., age, gender, duration, perceived fairness, ethnicity, and family support) moderate the impact of parentification on long-term adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child care in the United States today

This article describes the consumers and providers of child care in the United States. It uses data from nationally representative surveys and research studies conducted from the late 1960s through 1995 to examine the child care arrangements parents select for their young children, comparing today's arrangements with those made by parents decades ago. It then discusses the availability of child care, examining both the number of child care spaces available and whether quality programs are available to suit the needs and resources of parents. The article concludes with speculation about how proposed new policies and continuing trends may lead to future changes in child care.     

Child care arrangements and children's functioning: A comparison of self-care and adult-care children.

Compared 26 4th-grade and 22 7th-grade self-care (latchkey) children with 26 4th-grade and 22 7th-grade matched children in adult care to investigate whether the latchkey arrangement has negative consequences for children. Ss were interviewed on demographic and childcare arrangement data and administered the Self-Esteem Inventory, the Personal Reaction Survey, and the Behavior Rating Form. There were no significant differences found between the 2 matched samples on any of the measures. Results suggest that the growing public and professional concern about the negative effects of self-care arrangements may not be warranted. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child day care and home injuries involving playground equipment

The increasing number of children attending child day care has led to a corresponding concern for their safety in the absence of parental care. Previous studies have documented that the majority of injuries occurring in child day care involve falls, and that the most common consumer product associated with such falls is playground equipment. This study describes New Zealand children less than 5 years of age admitted to hospital between 1979 and 1988 for injuries associated with playground equipment located at home or a child care facility. There were 528 hospitalized home injuries involving playground equipment, and 145 such day care injuries. Fractures were the most common injury, and the head was the most commonly involved body region. Lower limb injuries were the most severe. Among the differences between home and day care injuries were the type of equipment involved. Swings were disproportionately associated with head injuries.     

Child maltreatment history among newlywed couples: A longitudinal study of marital outcomes and mediating pathways.

Participants included 202 newlywed couples who reported retrospectively about child maltreatment experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) and whose marital functioning was assessed 3 times over a 2-year period. Decreased marital satisfaction at T1 was predicted by childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect for husbands; only neglect predicted lower satisfaction for wives. Increased maltreatment of various types was also related to T1 difficulties with marital trust and partner aggression. Dyadic growth curve analyses showed that the marital difficulties reported at T1 tended to remain over the course of the study. Further, in several instances, maltreatment exerted an increasingly detrimental influence on marital functioning over time, particularly for husbands. Examination of possible mediators between maltreatment and reductions in marital satisfaction revealed pathways through decreased sexual activity, increased psychological aggression, and increased trauma symptoms reported by husbands. These findings suggest that clinicians should consider how an adult’s history of child maltreatment may contribute to current marital dysfunction. The authors also identify possible targets for intervention when working with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Co-operation and conflict within Chinese and Canadian kindergarten settings.

Compared the extent to which 77 5-yr-olds in China and 89 5-yr-olds in Canada engaged in cooperation and conflict behavior. The observation procedure used for data collection involved continuous observation for 4 separate 2.5-hr sessions. The incidence of cooperation and conflict was based solely on the frequency with which Ss interacted in cooperative or conflicting ways with peers. Behavioral categories included positive or negative physical contact, cooperative task behavior, and inconsiderate behavior. 85% of the behaviors documented in China were cooperative in nature and 78% of the behaviors in Canada involved conflict. Findings are discussed in terms of cultural differences. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child and adolescent psychological assessment: Current clinical practices and the impact of managed care.

Which psychological testing measures are clinical child and adolescent psychologists most commonly using? How has managed care influenced the practice of assessment for these professionals? This study provides survey data from 162 child practitioners employed in independent practice and in hospital, outpatient, and school-based settings throughout the United States. The results demonstrate marked consistency with recent surveys of clinicians working with adults, and a list of the 30 most frequently utilized measures is provided. Over 40% of the sample reported significant limitations in psychological testing due to managed-care policies. Strategies for maintaining an assessment practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)