168 - “Parents’ perceptions regarding kindergarten readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study”

Poster Number: 168
Publication Number: 168.412

Reshma Thadani, Stanford, Mountain View, CA, United States; Deema Akari, Stanford University School of Medicine, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, United States; Alexa Melgoza, Ravenswood Family Health Network, Mountain View, CA, United States; Janine Bruce, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; Jaime W. Peterson, Oregon Health Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Lisa J. Chamberlain, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States

Background: Children from under-resourced communities often lack academic resources early in life resulting in starting kindergarten less prepared academically than higher income peers, lower graduation rates, higher rates of poverty and chronic health conditions as adults. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these disparities. Pediatric clinics can be leveraged to support parents with early childhood literacy and school readiness (SR) through interventions such as SR coaching programs that target language/literacy, cognitive knowledge, physical/motor development, social/emotional development, and approaches to learning.

Objective: Gain insights from parents who participated in a coaching intervention on the impact of COVID-19 on school readiness preparation and the role of the medical home in supporting school readiness preparation.

Design/Methods: From January 2019 to January 2020, parents of children 4-5 years old receiving pediatric care at a Federally Qualified Health Center were eligible to receive a SR coaching session with a trained community health worker. The recruitment focused on 453 eligible children and ultimately, 150 participated in the coaching session. Children were evaluated using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment and Ages & Stages Questionnaires Social-Emotional screen and their parents received feedback and information on community resources. Post-coaching session, the children's parents were randomly selected to participate in a qualitative semi-structured interview in English and Spanish to examine their perceptions of supporting SR, and the added impact of promoting early learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interviews were conducted by bilingual and bicultural staff and transcribed and coded using team-based theme analysis facilitated by Dedoose software, a tool developed for qualitative analysis.

Results: Thirty interviews were conducted (English n=7; Spanish n=23) with primarily Spanish speaking (78%) parents, most of whom reported having finished high school or less (73%) (Table 1). Across three main domain areas (COVID Challenges; SR Resources, and SR Preparation) 9 primary themes emerged (Table 2). Parents discussed aspects of SR knowledge and confidence affected by the pandemic, including challenges with distance learning, technology, finances, and school readiness resources.Conclusion(s): The clinic’s surrounding community experiences a lack of early education support in the context of low access to preschool and lack of knowledge and resources. While COVID-19 has increased these challenges, many parents felt that the pediatric medical home was a source of support.
Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of Parent Study Participants (n=30)
Table 2. Overarching Themes and Exemplary Quotes