Identifying developmental profiles for children in Early Head Start: Associations with early risk and protective factors

Abstract

Person-centered approaches can help researchers, clinicians, and educators learn about a child's functioning and provide tailored interventions specific to the child's strengths and vulnerabilities. However, research has often focused on school-age children in low-risk samples. This study utilized a series of latent profile analyses to identify different profiles of 521 toddlers in Early Head Start across behavioral and language domains. The study then examined individual, family, and socioeconomic predictors of profile. Data were drawn from the Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Study, a nationally-representative, prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at ages 1, 2, and 3. The latent profile analyses suggested four distinct profiles of development at age 3: children who were well-adjusted, children with parent-reported behavior problems, children with staff-reported behavior problems, and children with multiple difficulties. Among the patterns of risk and protective factors, those in the profile with multiple difficulties were most likely to have missed early developmental milestones at age 1. Those in the parent-reported behavior problems profile experienced less supportive and more negative parenting, and had caregivers with higher levels of depressive symptoms than those who were well-adjusted. Those in the staff-reported behavior problems profile were more likely to be male as well as have higher levels of caregiver depressive symptoms. Overall, findings suggest unique patterns of risk factors for each profile, suggesting that interventions tailored to the precise needs of the family may be beneficial.