The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the parent-report Short Form Positive Family Support Strengths and Needs Assessment (PFS-SaNA). The PFS-SaNA is designed to reduce the time and burden of collaborative mental health screening. Parents of 245 students in the Northwest completed the screener at third, fourth,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the parent-report short form of the Positive Family Support Strengths and Needs Assessment (PFS-SaNA). The PFS-SaNA is designed to reduce the time and burden of collaborative mental health screening. Parents of 245 students in the U.S. Northwest completed the screener at…

The purpose of this study was to examine children's reading performance and parents' use of reading support strategies throughout their participation in a family literacy program. In the program sessions, parents learned strategies to promote discussions around reading and strategies to support children at the word level. The program occurred in a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a family-centered intervention delivered during early elementary school, the Family Check-Up (FCU), in supporting parents' use of proactive parenting skills and the role that parental self-efficacy has in promoting proactive parenting. We predicted both direct and mediated effects of the FCU…

In this dissertation, I examine how two major social programs in Kentucky--state-funded preK and Family Resource and Youth Service Centers--impact children's outcomes across the state, including racial, ethnic, and economic equity through elementary school. In each chapter, I will analyze how early childhood opportunities relate to outcomes…