Study of the CenteringParenting Group Care Program to Improve Language and School Readiness in Babies up to 3 Months Old

What this Trial Is About

Early childhood disparities in health and development can affect future academic success and overall well-being. Children from low-income families often face higher risks of developmental delays due to less stimulating environments, impacting language, social skills, and behavior critical for school readiness. This research evaluates the CenteringParenting intervention, a group-based routine child health care model, to see if it improves language development and parental behaviors that support early childhood development compared to standard care. The study compares two groups across multiple clinical sites one receiving the CenteringParenting intervention involving group well-child visits led by practitioners and support staff with education and experiential learning, and another receiving routine individual well-child care with standard anticipatory guidance. The intervention includes providing parents with journals on child safety, health, and development, and aims to foster positive parent-child interactions and reduce social isolation. Control sites receive delayed training in CenteringParenting after recruitment ends. Participants include parent-child pairs where the child is under 3 months old at enrollment, and parents attend one of the study sites. Researchers will assess language development at 3, 12, and 24 months using standardized tools, and parental behaviors at 12 and 24 months. The study also evaluates the implementation fidelity and caregiver engagement with the intervention. The trial began in 2019 and is expected to continue through 2026.

CenteringParenting Clinical Intervention on Kindergarten Readiness in Early Childhood