Widening the circle of security: a quasi‐experimental evaluation of attachment‐based professional development for family child care providers

ABSTRACT This pilot program evaluation was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of an attachment‐based, group professional‐development experience, Circle of Security‐Parenting, on family childcare (FCC) providers' psychological resources and self‐efficacy in managing children's challenging behaviors and supporting children's socioemotional development. Licensed FCC providers with children actively in their care (n = 34) self‐selected into the program, offered in English and Spanish through a regional support network for FCC providers; a comparison group of providers was recruited from the state database of licensed providers (n = 17). A significant Time × Group interaction was observed for self‐efficacy in managing challenging behaviors, F(1, 46) = 30.59, p = .000, partial η2 = .40, with participating providers' mean self‐efficacy scores increasing, p = .000, d = .78, while comparison providers’ decreased, p = .003, d = 1.40. Mean depressive symptoms decreased over time for both groups whereas job stress‐related resources were stable over time in both groups. Patterns of association were found between providers’ self‐report of difficulties considering children's mental states and depressive symptoms, job stress resources, and self‐efficacy. Limitations and implications for future research are reviewed, including the impact of conducting this work within an organized support network for FCC providers. RESUMEN Este programa experimental de evaluaci...
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: ARTICLE Source Type: research