With-In Child Protective Factors Among Rural Head Start Children

This analysis examined key protective factors among preschool children in low-income, rural areas. Teacher-reported Devereux Early Childhood Assessments for Preschoolers were completed for 182 Head Start children (54% female, 46% male) from seven rural, midwestern communities. The majority of children were in the typical range for each protective factor and for behavioral concerns. In comparison to a standardized sample, the rural sample had lower mean scores for all protective factors. Females had statistically significantly higher scores for initiative, self-regulation, attachment/relationships, and total protective factors, while having lower behavioral concerns than males. T-scores for initiative were statistically significantly higher for 4-year-olds than for 3-year-olds. Statistically significant negative correlations were also found between behavioral concerns and each protective factor, with the strongest negative correlation occurring with self-regulation. There was no statistically significant difference in T-scores between the fall (i.e., Time 1) and spring (i.e., Time 2). This analysis adds to existing literature by delineating the prevalence of with-in child protective factors among preschool children in rural, low-income communities and identifying areas in which these children are most in need of additional support.