IMPLEMENTING AN ATTACHMENT-BASED PARENTING INTERVENTION WITHIN HOME-BASED EARLY HEAD START: HOME-VISITORS'...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Parenting Interventions
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Evidence-based interventions require front-line staff acceptance for successful real-world implementation.
• Early Head Start (EHS) programs serve low-income families, providing crucial support services.
• Research-practice partnerships are vital for integrating interventions into existing service models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore EHS home visitors' perceptions and experiences with the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) parenting intervention.
• To understand the feasibility and acceptability of adding the ABC program to standard EHS services.
• To identify challenges and facilitators in implementing an evidence-based intervention within a community program.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing in-depth interviews with EHS home visitors.
• Thematic analysis was applied to interview data to identify key themes.
• The study was conducted within a research-practice partnership framework.

Main Results:

• Home visitors perceived the ABC intervention as positive and beneficial for EHS families.
• Key challenges included difficulties with scheduling and understanding intervention goals.
• Concerns regarding research participation focused on information exchange, confidentiality, and time constraints.

Conclusions:

• The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up program is viewed positively by EHS home visitors, suggesting good potential for implementation.
• Addressing challenges related to scheduling and clear goal communication is important for optimizing intervention delivery.
• Careful consideration of research participation logistics is necessary to ensure smooth integration within community programs.