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Supporting Prenatal Families: Perspectives from Early Head Start Staff

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Title: Supporting Prenatal Families: Perspectives from Early Head Start Staff
Language: English
Authors: Eleanor Fisk (ORCID 0000-0001-5165-2082), Caitlin McPherran Lombardi (ORCID 0000-0003-0261-8210), Kyle DeMeo Cook
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood. 2026 47(1).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Descriptors: Federal Programs, Social Services, Early Intervention, Pregnancy, Home Visits, Parent Education, Program Effectiveness, Employee Attitudes, Barriers
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Early Head Start
DOI: 10.1002/imhj.70041
ISSN: 0163-9641
1097-0355
Abstract: Early Head Start (EHS) serves prenatal families through their home visiting programs, offering support, referrals to services, and help preparing for parenthood. EHS programs individualize services to meet prenatal families' unique needs, yet we do not understand the full nuance of how this individualization occurs. In this study, we sought staff perspectives from those who work directly with prenatal families and/or have knowledge of how their EHS program serves prenatal families. We conducted interviews with nine EHS staff members (67% white, 22% Latina, 11% Black; 66% held a Bachelor's or Master's degree) with an average of 11 years' experience working for EHS from rural (56%) and urban (44%) EHS programs across the United States. Staff identified challenges they faced working with prenatal families (e.g., ensuring families had access to needed services) and successes they wanted to celebrate (e.g., individualizing service provision to meet families' unique needs). Findings from this study lend themselves to practice recommendations for improving EHS prenatal services even further, such as building out networks of community programs to support prenatal families, and additional research on cumulative benefits for families who enroll in EHS prenatally.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493465
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Supporting Prenatal Families: Perspectives from Early Head Start Staff
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Eleanor+Fisk%22">Eleanor Fisk</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5165-2082">0000-0001-5165-2082</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Caitlin+McPherran+Lombardi%22">Caitlin McPherran Lombardi</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0261-8210">0000-0003-0261-8210</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kyle+DeMeo+Cook%22">Kyle DeMeo Cook</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Infant+Mental+Health+Journal%3A+Infancy+and+Early+Childhood%22"><i>Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood</i></searchLink>. 2026 47(1).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Early Head Start (EHS) serves prenatal families through their home visiting programs, offering support, referrals to services, and help preparing for parenthood. EHS programs individualize services to meet prenatal families' unique needs, yet we do not understand the full nuance of how this individualization occurs. In this study, we sought staff perspectives from those who work directly with prenatal families and/or have knowledge of how their EHS program serves prenatal families. We conducted interviews with nine EHS staff members (67% white, 22% Latina, 11% Black; 66% held a Bachelor's or Master's degree) with an average of 11 years' experience working for EHS from rural (56%) and urban (44%) EHS programs across the United States. Staff identified challenges they faced working with prenatal families (e.g., ensuring families had access to needed services) and successes they wanted to celebrate (e.g., individualizing service provision to meet families' unique needs). Findings from this study lend themselves to practice recommendations for improving EHS prenatal services even further, such as building out networks of community programs to support prenatal families, and additional research on cumulative benefits for families who enroll in EHS prenatally.
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        Value: 10.1002/imhj.70041
    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Federal Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Intervention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pregnancy
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      – SubjectFull: Home Visits
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      – SubjectFull: Parent Education
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      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
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      – SubjectFull: Employee Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Early Head Start
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      – TitleFull: Supporting Prenatal Families: Perspectives from Early Head Start Staff
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              Y: 2026
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