395 - Promoting Early Relational Health "Beyond the Walls" of Pediatric Primary Care

Poster Number: 395
Publication Number: 395.624

Background: The first years of a child’s life provide a foundation that shapes their future. Early relational health, encompassing the quality of relationships between young children and their primary caregivers, plays a pivotal role in this intricate weaving. These formative relationships have a profound impact on a child's health as well as their emotional, social, and cognitive development.

Objective: The FCIP bring together families alongside trusted messengers (a local pediatric medical provider), in trusted spaces (a local early childhood education [ECE] center), using a trusted model (Reach Out and Read) to experience, share and demonstrate techniques (talking, singing, reading, and playing) that build early literacy skills and foster early relational health.

Design/Methods: Members of the FCIP designed and implemented “Family Literacy Nights” at ECE centers in large urban area. These events were designed to create space for modeling shared learning and skill development around early literacy and relational health, in-line with the Reach Out and Read (ROR) model practice within pediatric primary care. ROR medical providers were present to facilitate each event. A demographic and feedback survey were distributed to caregivers to evaluate acceptability and efficacy.

Results: A partnership between medical providers, 3 ECE centers and 1 community-based organization formed the FCIP. Together, the FCIP planned and executed 3 “Family Literacy Night” workshops with a total of 39 caregivers and 67 children in attendance. All (100%, n=39) caregivers reported that the event was fun, engaging for themselves and their child and created an opportunity to bond further with their child. Most families (90%, n=36) felt a sense of community and stated that they planned to do something new with their child because of the event. Participants cited multiple behaviors they were likely to change as a result of the event, including reading before bed, being more engaging and asking more open-ended questions, being more interactive with stories, playing with the scarves, finger puppets, and new books [all provided during the event]. 96% (n=38) of caregivers said they were very likely to come to an event like this again and are very likely to recommend an event like this to a friend.

Conclusion(s): Caregivers build bonds that foster formative relationships with their child through everyday practices – talking, reading, singing, and playing. Medical Office-Community partnerships, like the FCIP, can bring the messages of a proven model, like Reach Out and Read, “beyond the walls” of the medical office in an acceptable and effective way.