Academic pediatrics | 2021
The impact of nurse home visiting on the use, dose and quality of formal childcare: 3-year follow-up of a randomized trial.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES\nWe investigated whether nurse home visiting (NHV) affects the uptake and quality of formal early childhood education and care (ECEC) at child ages 2 and 3 years, and reasons for using ECEC at 3 years.\n\n\nMETHODS\nDesign: Secondary analysis of the right@home randomized trial of NHV.\n\n\nPARTICIPANTS\n722 pregnant Australian, English-speaking women experiencing adversity recruited from antenatal clinics across two States.\n\n\nINTERVENTION\n25 nurse home visits to 2-years; Control: universal well-child nursing service.\n\n\nMEASURES\nParents reported formal ECEC use (government approved and subsidized), comprising long or family day care (LDC/FDC), and reasons for use. ECEC quality was classified using the Australian government s national ratings. 83% of parents provided data at 2-years (306 intervention/290 control); and 69% at 3-years (255 intervention/240 control).\n\n\nANALYSIS\nIntention-to-treat analyses were conducted using adjusted regression models, addressing missing data using multiple imputation and inverse probability weighting.\n\n\nRESULTS\nThere was no evidence of group differences in ECEC uptake or quality, although control families may have used more LDC at 3 years (mean difference 2.8 hours, 95% CI: -0.2 to 5.8 hours). Intervention parents reported using ECEC to support their children s social development more frequently than controls (48% versus 33%) but less for work/study (39% versus 46%).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe right@home NHV program did not impact ECEC uptake or quality, although it may influence parents reasons for using ECEC. If supported by policy and provision, there is an opportunity for NHV programs to promote the transition to high-quality ECEC and evaluate the synergistic benefit on children s development.