THE ABC INTERVENTION IN EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS: REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF TOX

本研究的主要目的是实施一项基于证据的父母干预——玩耍和学习策略（PALS），以评估父母教养质量在缓解儿童与贫困相关的有毒压力中的作用。具体而言，该项目将：(1)测量幼儿对构成“有毒压力”的15项贫困相关危害指标的暴露程度，并确定暴露于这些维度与育儿质量水平降低和儿童压力生理生物标志物水平升高之间的关联程度；(2)实施ABC育儿干预，并记录如何在现有的EHS活动中调整和实施干预；(3)评价PALS育儿干预的效果。对于第三个目标，家庭将被随机分配到(1)家访服务，除了定期提供的服务外，他们将接受10周的干预；或(2)“一切照旧”的控制条件。这项研究的结果有望推动应用发育神经科学的发展，并有助于该领域的知识基础，了解早期开端在支持养育和缓冲儿童毒性压力影响方面的作用。

The primary purpose of this study is to implement an evidence-based parenting intervention, Playing and Learning Strategies (PALS) to evaluate the role of parenting quality in buffering children from toxic stress associated with poverty. Specifically, the project will: (1) measure young children's exposure to 15 indicators of poverty related hazards, constituting "toxic stress" and determine the extent to which exposure to these dimensions are associated with lower levels of parenting quality and elevated levels of stress physiology biomarkers for children; (2) implement the ABC parenting intervention and document how the intervention can be adapted and implemented within existing EHS activities; and (3) evaluate the efficacy of the PALS parenting intervention. For the third goal, families will be randomly assigned to either (1) home-visiting services where they will receive 10 weeks of intervention in addition to regularly delivered services or to a (2) 'business as usual' control condition. Results from this study are expected to advance applied developmental neuroscience and contribute to the field's knowledge base regarding the role of Early Head Start in supporting parenting and buffering children from the effects of toxic stress.