This study examined the relations between family demographics and positive parenting dimensions among urban-residing, low-income, Black caregiving dyads. Participants were 100 co-caregivers affiliated with a Head Start program and reporting on 50 preschool-aged children. Given that the parenting context for the caregiver pairs was not independent, multilevel dyadic analysis was employed to determine demographic predictors of positive parenting dimensions as measured by the emically derived Black Parenting Strengths in Context scale. Findings illuminated associations between combinations of adult/child characteristics (e.g., nativity, parental employment status, child gender) and the five dimensions of positive parenting measured (i.e., Fostering Connectedness; Racial and Cultural Pride; Involvement at School; Religious and Spiritual Practices; Behavioral Responsiveness and Guidance). Findings suggest implications for future research and theory involving Black family life—specifically the need to examine parenting by considering the combined effects of individual and shared family characteristics—and for designing parent support efforts that recognize family roles and heritages, and that leverage the strengths of and heterogeneity among the multiple caregivers in the lives of young children.
Objective: Primary caregivers (e.g., parents, grandparents, other family members) from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers when participating in their children's school activities. Research suggests that demographic match and quality communication between caregivers and teachers could support minoritized families' school-based engagement. This study examined the associations among caregiver-teacher demographic match, caregivers' perceived communication quality with the teacher and caregivers' perceived barriers to school-based engagement. Method: Caregivers (n = 565) from 49 Head Start classrooms completed the parent-report versions of the surveys: Barriers to Family Engagement, reporting resource, cultural/relational, and program/context barriers to school-based engagement; and Family-Teacher Communication, reporting communication quality with their children's lead and assistant teachers (n = 102). Caregivers and teachers also completed demographic surveys to provide information about their family background, such as race/ethnicity, primary language, and education level. Results: Multilevel modeling results showed that among the three demographic match variables (i.e., race/ ethnicity, primary language, formal education), only language match was associated with caregivers' perception of fewer cultural/relational barriers. Latine and Black non-Latine caregivers reported more cultural/relational and program/context carriers than White, non-Latine caregivers. Finally, caregivers who perceived better communication with their children's teachers reported fewer cultural/relational and program/context barriers. Conclusions: Primary language match and high-quality communication between families and teachers appear essential in creating a welcoming preschool environment that could alleviate some of the barriers to engagement typically faced by ethnically minoritized and low-income families.
Public Significance StatementPrimary caregivers from low-income and ethnically minoritized families tend to face a host of barriers to participating in their children's school activities. This study showed that when caregivers and teachers speak the same language and parents perceive good quality communication with their child's teachers, they are likely to experience fewer barriers related to culture and program contexts as they participate in their children's preschool program. Findings underscore the need for early childhood education programs to consider culturally responsive ways of connecting with ethnically and linguistically diverse families.
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