FIRST-GENERATION LATINA MOTHERS' EXPERIENCES OF SUPPLEMENTING HOME-BASED EARLY HEAD START WITH THE ATTACHMENT AND...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Parenting Interventions
• Cultural Adaptation

Background:

• Home-based Early Head Start (EHS) provides essential services to low-income families.
• Supplementing EHS with targeted interventions may enhance program effectiveness.
• Cultural relevance is crucial for successful parent support programs in diverse communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore first-generation Latina mothers' experiences with a combined EHS and Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) program.
• To assess the feasibility, value, and cultural relevance of supplementing EHS with ABC for Latino families.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative pilot study involving ten first-generation Latina mothers with infants/toddlers in home-based EHS.
• Participants received ten home visits from the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) program.
• In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted post-intervention to gather experiences.

Main Results:

• Mothers reported positive experiences with both EHS and the supplemental ABC program.
• High value was placed on receiving both programs concurrently.
• The ABC program was perceived as culturally relevant for Latino families.

Conclusions:

• A model supplementing EHS with ABC is feasible, valuable, and culturally relevant for the Latino community.
• Participant feedback offers insights for optimizing program delivery.
• Considerations for the sustainability of this supplemental intervention model are discussed.