SUMMARY
Child care coaching is theoretically aligned with these policy goals:
To date, no strong causal evidence has connected child care coaching with positive outcomes in the prenatal-to-3 period. Coaching for teachers of infants and toddlers has not yet been studied extensively, and the current evidence tends to examine treatment effects on small sample sizes with high attrition, meriting further study to draw a strong conclusion. Additionally, current evidence evaluates coaching as a programmatic strategy, rather than a statewide policy, providing no clear guidance for state action. Further study, particularly of children under the age of 3, is needed to better understand the connection between child care coaching and outcomes in the prenatal-to-3 period.
Child care coaching is a type of professional development or technical assistance provided to the early care and education workforce. Coaching is typically an ongoing, relationship-based, collaborative process between an expert and an early childhood educator that focuses on improving caregiver knowledge, skills, and behaviors, typically related to classroom instruction, caregiver interactions with children, or overall quality of a child care environment. Successful child care coaching can improve teacher competencies, skills, and classroom behaviors. These outcomes may lead to improvements in overall quality of the child care environment and caregiver-child interactions, which can subsequently improve child outcomes during the prenatal-to-3 period. However, limited strong causal evidence currently exists to support these theoretical connections.
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Child Care Coaching Evidence Review (PDF)
Recommended Citation:
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. (2020). Prenatal-to-3 policy clearinghouse evidence review: Child care coaching (ER 0920.013A). Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University. http://pn3policy.org/policy-clearinghouse/child-care-coaching
Updated September 2020