Preschool Child Care Research Articles

Аpproaches to the medical and social rehabilitation for children with organic lesions of the nervous system: history and current trends

Preschool children with organic lesions of the nervous system need a comprehensive approach to medical and social rehabilitation. These pathologies (organic lesions of the organs of hearing, vision, vestibular and speech apparatus) are quite common among children nowadays. The process of speech formation and social behavior of such patients is complex in structural and functional organization. The purpose of the article is to investigate the history and current state of social and medical rehabilitation for sensory and other CNS defects. The novelty of the reserch. The problem of forming life competence in children with special needs from an early age remains undeveloped. Research methods are based on historical and comparative-analytical principles. Conclusions. Thus, considering various aspects of rehabilitation care for early preschool children with CNS defects and speech disorders, it was possible to determine the paramount importance of speech development in rehabilitation work with early preschool children, because successes in learning Ukrainian in this sensitive period, or their absence will significantly affect all aspects of further medical and social rehabilitation.

Dental caries prevention program in children and adolescents living in residential institutions

Was to assess the effectiveness of a new dental caries prevention program in children of various ages living in residential institutions. The program of oral health promotion and caries prevention was introduced in the autonomous non-profit organization «Social rehabilitation center Solba». The study comprised 98 children aged 12-17 years divided into two groups: the main group of 52 children aged 12-16 years enrolled in the program in 2013 in pre-school (32 children) and primary school age (20 children) and the control group of 46 adolescents aged 12-17 years not included in the program. DMFT and OHI-S index were compared in both groups as well as in children enrolled in the program at various ages. The overall caries prevalence was 84.7%. Statistically significant differences were documented between children enrolled in the program in pre-school and primary school ages regarding both caries prevalence (78% and 89%, respectively) and intensity (3.5 and 5.4 tooth, respectively (p=0.01)). Non-satisfactory, poor and very poor OHI-S was observed in 15.4% of children in the main group and 54.3% of controls. Good oral hygiene was seen in 67.3 and 37%, satisfactory - in 17.3 and 8.7% of children, respectively (p<0.05). Programs of dental caries prevention with oral health promotion component are effective for oral hygiene improvement in children living in residential institutions. The key for long-term effectiveness and dental caries prevalence and intensity reduction is the start of the program in pre-school age and education of caregivers and teachers to provide control of dental care in pre-school and primary school children.

Vplivi na obisk gozda v splošnih in gozdnih vrtcih

Preschool children spend a large part of their everyday life in kindergartens, so it is necessary to include visits to the forest, which is the most extensive natural environment in Slovenia, in preschool childcare programs. Based on surveys with preschool teachers of public kindergartens in Slovenia (N = 133), we analysed the habits, purposes, barriers and concerns associated with visiting the forest. The frequency and duration of forest visits largely depend on the distance of the forest from the kindergarten. The habits of forest visits among forest kindergartens which are included in the Network of Forest Kindergartens organized by the Institute of Forest Pedagogy do not differ significantly from that of general public kindergartens. They differ mainly with respect to the frequency of visitation in bad weather and the purpose of visitation. The main concerns when visiting the forest are ticks, fear of injury, and the children having inappropriate equipment. The reasons for less frequent forest visitation include different pedagogical priorities of the kindergartens and lack of support from the management and parents, which highlight the need for the strategic promotion and implementation of forest visitation in preschool education.

Child Care Workers’ Perspectives on Transition Services for Pre-school Children with Special Needs in Hong Kong

Transitions that all young children have to make (including children with special needs) involve: starting school, moving from kindergarten to primary school, and sometimes moving from one school to another. With increasing awareness of the importance of early childhood education and intervention, transition planning for young children is attracting much more attention and action. Research suggests that there is a relationship between children’s successful transitions and the outcomes of their development in cognition, literacy, social adjustment, and adaptive skills. However, the perspectives of teachers in transition planning were not sufficiently explored in the literature in the Chinese context. This paper focuses on the experiences, ideas, and perspectives of pre-school child care workers on the vertical transition of children from pre-school special centres to other educational institutions in Hong Kong. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with child care workers who work in special child care centres. Importance of transition planning for children with special needs, the role of pre-school special child care workers, challenges in the process, and suggestions for improvement are discussed. In particular, methods for facilitating the parents’ choice of appropriate primary schools are shared.

Conceptual ECCE Happiness Framework for Preschools: To Introduce Importance of Happiness to Promote Social and Emotional Competence in Preschool Children

The primary objective of this article is to create a conceptual Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) happiness framework for preschool children in India. Although happiness is regarded as one of the key elements that influence early childhood development, an effective happiness framework does not exist for preschools in rural and socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the state of Punjab in India. Therefore, based on research gaps and existing literature, a conceptual framework has been developed to promote social and emotional competence among preschool children through the happiness intervention. The article also discusses (a) the concepts of happiness, and social and emotional competence; (b) the importance of happiness in preschool; (c) the association between happiness and social-emotional competence of preschool children; and (d) the role of preschool teachers in implementing the framework. Future implementation of this framework in the preschools of India will help overcome the limitation that exists in regard to its validation.

Comprehensive support of health care of children of senior preschool age in a preschool educational organization

Introduction. The relevance of the problem of health care of older preschool children is explained by the fact that statistical data indicate an annual decline in the health index of preschool children. The World Health Organization notes that the number of healthy preschoolers has decreased by 5 times and is only about 10% of the contingent of children, the prevalence of functional disorders reaches more than 70%, chronic diseases – 50%, physiological immaturity – 60%, more than 20% of children have a body weight deficit. Therefore social and pedagogical importance of preserving the health of the child increases in the modern conditions of development of preschool education. The purpose of the study is to organize a comprehensive health-saving support for children of senior preschool age through a specially developed and implemented technology. Materials and methods. The experimental study was conducted on the basis of the Municipal state preschool Educational Institution Kindergarten no. 125. (Russia, Yekaterinburg). The study sample consisted of 106 children of senior preschool age. As research methods were used group theoretical (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and empirical (observation, diagnostic task «Our habits» O.V. Dubina, the questionnaire «Healthy person» I.I. Malozemovа, diagnostic methods «Parovozik» S.V. Veliyeva, analysis of disease incidence and physical health, experiment) techniques, methods of data processing. The Student's t-test was used for statistical comparison of the results. Results of the study. The formation of health-saving competence of preschool children, a conscious attitude to their own health was carried out systematically, consistently and purposefully through specially designed blocks of joint activity of the subjects of the educational process of health-saving technologies for older preschool children, which were used in a complex on the basis of an individually differentiated approach. The obtained values of the t-criterion at the significance level p &lt; 0.06 indicate a positive effect of the developed technology on the effectiveness of all health-saving criteria for older preschool children. Discussion and conclusion. Children's health is the most important indicator of social well-being and the normal functioning of society. Psychophysiological and environmental overload, the weakening of the role of preschool educational institutions and the family today actualize the problem of preserving and strengthening the health of the younger generation.

Effect of preschool childcare on school-aged children's adiposity in Quebec, Canada.

Regulated public childcare must follow nutrition and physical activity guidelines, but the impact of public childcare on childhood adiposity is unclear. To estimate the effects of universal preschool childcare on children's BMI in elementary school in Quebec, Canada, and whether the effects differed in children from more or less advantaged families. For 1657 children enrolled in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (1998-2010), BMI z-scores (BMIz) from 6 to 13years were regressed on the childcare used from 2 to 5years, adjusted for pre-childcare variables. Average treatment effects were estimated using the Bayesian multilevel linear regression and g-computation for four childcare profiles: 1) parental care or full-time care (35hours/week) in a 2) centre-based, 3) regulated home-based or 4) unregulated home-based arrangement. Had all participants attended centre-based care, mean BMIz in kindergarten would have been 0.38 (95% credible interval [CrI] 0.23, 0.52), which was 0.40 (95% CrI 0.14, 0.65) SD higher than regulated home-based, 0.20 (95% CrI -0.04, 0.43) SD higher than unregulated home-based and 0.36 (95% CrI 0.11, 0.60) SD higher than parental care. By 12years, mean BMIz had increased for all childcare profiles, but differences between childcare profiles had diminished. Although centre-based childcare was associated with an earlier rise in BMI, compared with informal care, it had no large, enduring effect, overall, or for less advantaged children, in particular.

Impacts of universal childcare on early behavioral development: evidence from a birth cohort in Québec, Canada

To examine associations between universal pre-school childcare use and later behaviors among children at age 6 years. Using annual follow-up data of a birth cohort (N=1450), we estimated differences in behavioral scores by primary childcare arrangement between ages 2-5 years - universal subsidized childcare program (CPE care), non-CPE childcare, and parental or family care (no regular care) - using propensity score inverse probability weights. Teachers reported slightly higher levels of hyperactivity (0.73, 95% CI: 0.32, 1.1) and indirect aggression (0.58, 95%CI: 0.24, 0.91) among children who attended a CPE than children in non-CPE care. However, these patterns were not observed from either maternal or paternal reports. Similarly, teachers' assessments of slightly higher physical aggression (0.50, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.88) and opposition (0.63, 95% CI: 0.21, 1.05) scores among children in CPE care than children who did not have a regular childcare were not observed in parental assessments. Behavioral scores by childcare arrangement were similar between girls and boys and across family socioeconomic position. Universal pre-school childcare does not appear to have substantial impacts on child behaviors at early school age, however teachers rated externalizing behaviors to be slightly higher among children who attended universal childcare.

Grandparental care and sleep disturbances in preschool children: a population-based prospective cohort study

ObjectivesSleep disturbances are common in preschoolers, and profoundly affected by parenting. Grandparents are increasingly involved in childcare and have attracted worldwide attention for their potential impacts on child well-being. However, no studies have explored child sleep health within the context of grandparental care. We aimed to explore the association between grandparents as primary caregivers and children's sleep disturbances. MethodsParticipants included 20,324 preschoolers from the Shanghai Children's Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation-Preschool (SCHEDULE-P) in Shanghai, China. They were initially assessed in November 2016 and were reassessed in April 2018 and April 2019. Children's primary caregivers were collected at each survey. Sleep disturbances were assessed by the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). ResultsAt baseline, 84.4% of children had global sleep disturbances (CSHQ total score >41). Compared with parents, random-effects model indicated that grandparents as primary caregivers increased the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for children's global sleep disturbances by 30% (OR [95%CI]: 1.30 [1.21, 1.40]). To the specific domains of CSHQ, two-way repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant “caregiver transition” group × wave interaction in the behavioral sleep disturbances, such as “Bedtime Resistance” (p < 0.001). At each survey, children with grandparents as primary caregivers demonstrated significant higher behavioral sleep disturbances than their counterparts with parental care. ConclusionsGrandparental care is associated with increased sleep disturbances, particularly behavioral sleep disturbances, in preschoolers. Future studies should explore the underlying mechanisms and whether sleep programs targeting grandparents can decrease children's sleep disturbances.

Pre-school childcare and inequalities in child development.

Centre-based childcare may benefit pre-school children and alleviate inequalities in early childhood development, but evidence on socio-emotional and physical health outcomes is limited. Data were from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 14,376). Inverse-probability weighting was used to estimate confounder-adjusted population-average effects of centre and non-centre-based childcare (compared to parental care only) between ages 26–31 months on (age 3): internalising and externalising symptoms, pro-social behaviour, independence, emotional dysregulation, vocabulary, school readiness, and body mass index. To assess impacts on inequalities, controlled direct effects of low parental education and lone parenthood on all outcomes were estimated under two hypothetical scenarios: 1) universal take-up of centre-based childcare; and 2) parental care only. On average, non-centre based childcare improved vocabulary and centre-based care improved school readiness, with little evidence of other benefits. However, socio-economic inequalities were observed for all outcomes and were attenuated in scenario 1 (universal take-up). For example, inequalities in externalising symptoms (according to low parental education) were reduced from a confounder-adjusted standard deviation difference of 7.8 (95% confidence intervals: 6.7–8.8), to 1.7 (0.6–2.7). Inequalities by parental education in scenario 2 (parental care only) were wider than in scenario 1 for externalising symptoms (at 3.4; 2.4–4.4), and for emotional dysregulation and school readiness. Inequalities by lone parenthood, which were smaller, fell in scenario 1, and fell further in scenario 2. Universal access to centre-based pre-school care may alleviate inequalities, while restricted access (e.g. during lockdown for a pandemic such as Covid-19) may widen some inequalities in socioemotional and cognitive development.

Job Demands and Resources Experienced by the Early Childhood Education Workforce Serving High-Need Populations.

The early childhood education (ECE) workforce plays a key role in promoting early childhood development by their interactions with young children during formative years. However, the inherent demands of the profession and the work conditions within ECE settings affect job satisfaction and overall health and well-being. This study applied the Job Demands-Resources Model (JD-R) and administered a cross-sectional survey (n = 137) to examine disparities in personal and external demands and resources that may impact job satisfaction and turnover rates among ECE staff who provide care for preschool children (3–5 years of age). ECE staff reported higher levels of personal demands, including depression and perceived stress, and external demands, including workload and staffing concerns, compared to the national workforce (all p < .01). The data also illustrated disparities related to resource access; ECE staff reported lower levels of personal resources, including mindfulness, and less access to external resources including safety climate, resource adequacy, role clarity, respect, and management relationships (all p < .01). Only 34% of ECE staff reported being very satisfied with their work compared to 49% of the national workforce (p < .01). External resources were significantly and positively associated with job satisfaction (B = .09, p < .01). These findings suggest that ECE staff experience significantly higher demands and have access to significantly fewer resources in the workplace, and that bolstering job-related resources may translate to increased job satisfaction.

Significance of senior volunteer’s picture book reading activity to children in preschool childcare and educational facilities

Significance of senior volunteer’s picture book reading activity to children in preschool childcare and educational facilities

School and pre-school children with type 1 diabetes during Covid-19 quarantine: The synergic effect of parental care and technology

IntroductionManagement of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) poses numerous challenges, especially for young children and their families. Parental care positively influencesthe outcomesofchildren with T1D, while there are often criticisms in school environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced children and parents to spend many hours at home and diabetes care has returned mainly in the hands of parents. Aim of the studyTo evaluate the effectiveness of exclusive return to parental care in pre-school and school children with T1D treated with Tandem Basal IQ system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and methods22 children (M:F = 14:8) with T1D have been evaluated. We compared insulin and CGM data (TIR, TBR and TAR) of two periods: PRE-COV and IN-COV, in which children have transitioned from normal school attendance to the exclusive care of their parents. ResultsDuring the IN-COV period a significantly (p < 0.001) higher median value of TIR (66,41%) was observed as compared to PRE-COV period (61,45%). Patients also showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.002) between the IN-COV period and the PRE-COV period as concerning the TAR metric: respectively 29,86 ± 10,6% vs 34,73 ± 12,8%. The difference between the bolus insulin doses was statistically significant (PRE-COV 5,3 IU/day, IN-COV 7,9 IU/day – p < 0.05). ConclusionOur observational real-life study confirms the positive effect of parental care in T1D very young children and demonstrates that during the COVID-19 pandemic it was possible to obtain a good glycometabolic compensation despite the significant change in lifestyle.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC SERVICES: PRESCHOOL EDUCATION SERVICES IN THE KOMI REPUBLIC

The article analyzes the tasks of implementing the national project "Education" in the region using the example of the Komi Republic. The article examines the conditions for the implementation of a national education project based on the example of the public servant “preschool education”. Based on monitoring indicators of the provision of pre-school education for children aged 1 to 6 years old in educational institutions in the Komi Republic, an assessment is made of the process of providing services by local authorities. The positive dynamics of the provision of public services in terms of the availability of preschool education in the territory of the Komi Republic is revealed. This indicator is ensured by the construction, re-equipment of premises in existing preschool educational institutions, the redemption of premises for placement of nursery groups, as well as by the development of varied forms of preschool education: groups for short-term stay of children, counseling centers of various kinds, groups for the supervision and care of preschool children ages organized by individual entrepreneurs. The article provides a grouping of municipalities by the effectiveness of the provision of public services of preschool education. The article also analyzes the results of the implementation of the national project "Demography", one of the directions of which is the creation of additional places in preschool educational institutions for children under the age of 3 years. Positive factors in the development of the market for preschool services are the presence of a private business and the creation of private preschool educational organizations in the region, the creation of groups for the supervision and care of preschool children organized by individual entrepreneurs. Important for the Far North region is the creation of groups of short-term stay of children in municipal organizations. The analysis shows the activity of government bodies in creating consultation centers for methodological, psychological, pedagogical, diagnostic and advisory assistance to parents in the education and upbringing of preschool children, centers for play support, leisure activities, weekend groups, parent-child club, groups for children disabled people. Digitalization of public administration is implemented through the creation of a regional electronic register of children in need of places in preschool educational institutions of the Komi Republic, which provides the possibility of a "transparent" procedure for the provision of services for receiving applications, registering and enrolling children in preschool educational organizations in electronic form.

Teacher compassionate touch in a Japanese preschool

This paper examines the discursive, embodied, and sequential organization of preschool teachers’ compassionate touch in interaction: physically touching a child so as to soothe and relieve the child’s distress. Utilizing multimodal conversation analysis, episodes of compassionate touch were identified and transcribed from a corpus of 48 hours of audio-visual recordings in a Japanese preschool. The analysis focuses on such touch within situations of peer conflict and accidents during play. It shows how compassionate touch was used with verbal resources and communicative practices, examines their positioning within sequences of interaction, and discusses children’s responses. The findings attempt to further our understanding of affective touch in children’s sociality and preschool childcare.

Prediction models for childhood asthma: A systematic review.

The inability to objectively diagnose childhood asthma before age five often results in both under-treatment and over-treatment of asthma in preschool children. Prediction tools for estimating a child's risk of developing asthma by school-age could assist physicians in early asthma care for preschool children. This review aimed to systematically identify and critically appraise studies which either developed novel or updated existing prediction models for predicting school-age asthma. Three databases (MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science Core Collection) were searched up to July 2019 to identify studies utilizing information from children ≤5years of age to predict asthma in school-age children (6-13years). Validation studies were evaluated as a secondary objective. Twenty-four studies describing the development of 26 predictive models published between 2000 and 2019 were identified. Models were either regression-based (n=21) or utilized machine learning approaches (n=5). Nine studies conducted validations of six regression-based models. Fifteen (out of 21) models required additional clinical tests. Overall model performance, assessed by area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), ranged between 0.66 and 0.87. Models demonstrated moderate ability to either rule in or rule out asthma development, but not both. Where external validation was performed, models demonstrated modest generalizability (AUC range: 0.62-0.83). Existing prediction models demonstrated moderate predictive performance, often with modest generalizability when independently validated. Limitations of traditional methods have shown to impair predictive accuracy and resolution. Exploration of novel methods such as machine learning approaches may address these limitations for future school-age asthma prediction.

170 lat realizacji systemu ochrony przez wychowanie w koncepcji Edmunda Bojanowskiego

The pedagogical thought and concept of the system of protection by Edmund Bojanowski’s upbringing, even though it was born 170 years ago, appears today to be innovative and exceptionally up-to-date. Applied in contemporary pre-school education and child care, it is a continuation of the concept of upbringing and its practical implementation by establishing on May 3, 1850 the nursery and Congregation of the Servant Sisters. The theoretical and practical application of this concept and new research and scientific studies on the essence of early education realized in Catholic pedagogical thought in the context of contemporary civilization challenges is still expected from various circles in Poland and worldwide.

Dietary Behaviors of Preschool Children and Food Allergy Prevalence of Preschool Childcare Facilities in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City

Dietary Behaviors of Preschool Children and Food Allergy Prevalence of Preschool Childcare Facilities in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City

THE EXPERIENCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE FACED BY MOTHERS WITH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

The article presents the results of the sociological study “Parents between the need to work and family responsibilities” (in baze on 1047 questionnaires with mothers with preschool children and 20 in-depth sociological interviews), conducted by the Center for Demographic Research of NIER. The purpose of the study consisted in analyzing the particularities of reconciling the family life and the professional life of mothers with preschool children, in highlighting the difficulties they face in reintegrating into the labour market after child care leave and in determining the factors that contributes to facilitating the process of balancing family and professional life. The results of the study revealed that families face difficulties in establishing and maintaining a balance between many and sometimes contradictory demands of family and professional life. The interviewed mothers highlighted a high level of motivation to be employed, but the defining reason for returning to the labor market is the need to earn money. Depending on the professional and family orientations, mothers with preschool children can be divided into three categories: mothers who want to combine the work with raising children (65%), mothers who intend to make a career but do not forget about children (21.3%) and mothers who prefer to be housewifes and take care of children (13.7%). Although the support of the husband moderates the relationship between family and professional responsibilities, the results of the study have shown that there is a tendency for women to take full responsibility of the household and child care. The lack of quality care and education services for preschool children, the absence of flexible work programs but also the unequal distribution of family responsibilities contribute to making the work-family life balance a predominant problem.

What do Parents Know About Oral Health and Care for Preschool Children in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia?

Objective: To assess the knowledge level of parents from the central region of Saudi Arabia about oral health and care of preschool children and its relation with sociodemographic variables, parents’ self-perception toward their dental health, importance of teeth, and frequency of dental visits. Material and Methods: A random sample of 754 parents participated in this cross-sectional study and completed an internationally accepted questionnaire. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data (p<0.05). Results: Mean knowledge score of the parents was 4.8 (out of 11). Less than 20% of the parents were knowledgeable about the best position for tooth brushing, the concentration of fluoride in a child’s toothpaste, timing of first dental check-up, and best time to give a sugary snack. Mothers, parents with high educational level and family income, parents with a positive attitude towards teeth and excellent self-perception of their dental health were significantly more likely to score higher (p<0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge of parents about oral health and care of preschool children in the central region of Saudi Arabia was deficient. Gender, education level of parents, family income, attitude about teeth and self-perception of parents’ own dental health were factors, which influenced their knowledge. To improve parents' knowledge, health professionals' role should be improved, and TV commercials directed toward the areas, which had gaps in knowledge.