Making the Match: Culturally Relevant Coaching and Training for Early Childhood Caregivers

Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 51 Gerty Drive, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 877-275-3227; Tel: 217-333-1386; Fax: 217-244-7732; e-mail: ecrp@uiuc.edu; Web site: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu

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8

Child Care; Child Caregivers; Coaching (Performance); Caregiver Training; Caseworker Approach; Culturally Relevant Education; Best Practices; Educational Practices; Interviews; Educational Quality; Professional Development; Educational Strategies; Caregiver Attitudes; Cultural Differences; Interpersonal Relationship; Interpersonal Competence; Risk; Early Childhood Education; Training Methods; Training Objectives

1524-5039

This study explored the mechanisms for culturally relevant training and coaching for early child care providers, especially family, friend, or neighbor (FFN) caregivers. In particular, given the evidence that coaching early care practitioners may have more significant effects than traditional training programs, the main objective of this research effort was to identify practices of those engaged in culturally specific coaching relationships. Interview study findings are reported here and suggest that such practices, while context dependent, do vary among ethnic populations of the early child care providers who responded. This article elaborates on reported differences in approaches and underscores the importance of effective relationships with FFN caregivers, concluding that culturally relevant training and coaching may be valuable to FFN professional development by facilitating recruitment and increased participation for culturally marginalized FFN caregivers.

As Provided

22

2013

EJ997133