Project Description:
Background. This is a hybrid effectiveness-implementation science trial studying the role of a community- based, childcare center-support system in mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on child development. Public health disasters have disproportionate and long-term impacts on poor, disenfranchised communities. Miami-Dade County has one of the US's highest rates of chronic poverty, is minority majority, and has been an epicenter of the pandemic. COVID-19 is having psychosocial impacts on children that is producing anxiety, irritability, anger, and depression. Teachers in childcare centers continue to be overwhelmed by changing guidelines and how to address the downstream psychological effects children are experiencing. While numerous resources exist that can help childcare centers with disaster recovery, the information can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate, and research is yet to show the actual benefits of the resources. Approach: We will leverage our existing community-based intervention, Jump Start, with its extensive reach in Miami-Dade County, to childcare centers participating in the County's Quality Improvement System. This system prioritizes children living in poverty who are at highest risk for problems. This study will be modeled on a successful Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) intervention which utilizes mental health consultants to deliver a Jump Start+: COVID Support virtual toolkit to childcare centers. The toolkit is comprised of four strength-based strategies likely to be effective in improving resiliency following disasters: Safety Planning, Effective Communication, Adult Self-Care, and Trauma-Informed Behavior Support. Our first aim will utilize a cluster randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of Jump Start+: COVID Support on mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on children, as compared to an obesity-prevention intervention control group. Child development is the primary outcome, with children followed at 6, 12,18, and 24 months. The second aim will examine the mechanisms that contribute to effective teachers' uptake on the child outcomes of Jump Start+: COVID Support strategies. The consultants utilize innovative telepresence robots to safely provide consultations with childcare center staff. The third aim will consider the contextual factors at the center-level that may impact the ability of centers to maintain physical and psychological safety during crises by examining policy decisions and safety practices. Impact. These aims meet a high-priority research area for NICHD because they address the social and environmental factors that can enhance children's resilience. Employing the Reach, Effectiveness-Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework will inform the refinement and scaling of Jump Start+: COVID Support and generalize impacts to other childcare center interventions in the context of disasters. We have the potential to influence long-term trajectories of childcare center practices and child development which, in turn, can chart a course for future child health and well-being in the face of crises.
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Urban, Territory
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
