Starting Young

The HPRC develops and tests evidence-based early childhood
provider interventions in urban, predominantly minority, low-income
communities in Massachusetts and proposes to develop and test
interventions in rural, predominantly White low-income communities
in Maine. 

The first year of the project was spent collaborating with two large
ABCD Head Start Centers (East Boston Head Start and South Boston
Head Start).  By focusing on two ABCD Head Start Centers in Boston
we accurately assessed the barriers and promoters to:

• Provide opportunities for physical activity and nutrition
  education and support for Head Start staff and teachers
  in the Center environment;
• Improve physical activity and nutrition practices in
  the center setting;
• Help Head Start teachers to encourage positive health
  behavior changes (such as greater physical activity,
  healthier food choices, television reduction, etc.)
  in Head Start families;
• Create collaborations between Head Start, clinical
  providers, and Woman Infant Child programs in the
  Head Start community.

Principal Investigators: Charles Deutsch, ScD
Funder: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation
Funding Dates: October 2005 - September 2006