Mary Haskett

Nearly 26,000 of NC children under 6 year experienced homelessness in 2016 and rates are increasing annually. Given the negative impact of homelessness on young children, ensuring safe, stable housing for all NC children is a primary goal in the NC Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP). The risks young children and their families face while homelessness can be mitigated when shelter staff link them to services that promote children resilience. For young children, that support can be found in enrollment and attendance in high-quality child care. Unfortunately, staff at housing organizations and shelters are generally not aware of resources available for young children.We will employ a two-part strategy to ensure that young NC children experiencing homelessness receive appropriate early childhood services to promote their wellness and readiness to succeed in school. First, we will develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the state with achievable steps to (a) increase assess to early childhood services for young homeless children, (b) increase cross-sector awareness and skills of housing and early childhood professionals, and (c) improve data systems to monitor progress toward Goal 4 of the ECAP. The second component is to disseminate an assessment and quality improvement tool designed to provide emergency shelters across NC with resources needed to help families with young children. Through this initiative, our team will create a valuable resource for housing/homelessness services groups and organizations across the state to increase access to early childhood education and other services for families experiencing homelessness.

Nearly 26,000 of NC children under 6 year experienced homelessness in 2016 and rates are increasing annually. Given the negative impact of homelessness on young children, ensuring safe, stable housing for all NC children is a primary goal in the NC Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP). The risks young children and their families face while homelessness can be mitigated when shelter staff link them to services that promote children??????????????????s resilience. For young children, that support can be found in enrollment and attendance in high-quality child care. Unfortunately, staff at housing organizations and shelters are generally not aware of resources available for young children.We will employ a two-part strategy to ensure that young NC children experiencing homelessness receive appropriate early childhood services to promote their wellness and readiness to succeed in school. First, we will develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the state with achievable steps to (a) increase assess to early childhood services for young homeless children, (b) increase cross-sector awareness and skills of housing and early childhood professionals, and (c) improve data systems to monitor progress toward Goal 4 of the ECAP. The second component is to disseminate an assessment and quality improvement tool designed to provide emergency shelters across NC with resources needed to help families with young children. Through this initiative, our team will create a valuable resource for housing/homelessness services groups and organizations across the state to increase access to early childhood education and other services for families experiencing homelessness.

Dr. Haskett will work with medical staff and others to develop the evaluation plan and prepare the JRE template for evaluation planning. She will oversee execution of the evaluation plan and prepare timely reports of findings, including recommendations for interpreting and using process and outcome data during the course of the project. Dr. Haskett will assist with dissemination of findings to various stakeholder groups to support sustainability efforts. She will supervise the graduate research assistant (RA); the RA will be responsible for assisting with data collection on site as needed and summarizing data for reports to WakeMed.

As evaluator on the grant "Positive Parenting in Wake", Mary Haskett will work with the foundation, project coordinator, project partners, and Triple P America to fully develop the evaluation plan, conduct the evaluation, and communicate findings to stakeholders. She will assist in selection of appropriate evaluation methods and measures and supervise the data collection process (including training evaluation assistants). She will lead the evaluation team, evaluate progress of the grant activities, and provide advice for adjustments in the direction of grant activities. She will consult with Triple P America on all aspects of program evaluation and will serve as a liaison for evaluation between Positive Parenting in Wake and the NC Triple P Learning Collaborative. Dr. Haskett will prepare reports on the required schedule (at least annually) and present findings to all stakeholders as requested. Finally, she will remain abreast of national and international research on Triple P and communicate updated findings to the project coordinator and partner agencies as appropriate.

The purpose of the Positive Parenting in Wake County planning grant is to fully develop a set of strategies to implement Triple P at the population level in Wake County. During the planning process, we will articulate (a) the target population and project goals, (b) specific strategies to be used to reach those goals, (c) the process of evaluating outcomes of implementation of Triple P, and (d) a plan for sustainability. Planning will involve participants representing all project partners, two consultants, and Triple P America staff. Details of the planned project will be developed during face-to-face and telephone/skype meetings of all participants, attendance at the NC Triple P State Learning Collaborative, and visits to other NC sites that are implementing Triple P. During the planning process, the JRE "Project Plan Template for Planning Grant Recipients"? will be completed as a deliverable outcome. At the conclusion of the planning period, partners expect to be in an excellent position to submit a fundable implementation grant application to carry out a successful, sustainable project.

The purpose of this Research Career Award is to gain the knowledge and experience necessary for Dr. Haskett to advance her research beyond single-factor, static models of developmental consequences of abuse. Knowledge will be acquired through participation in formal courses, attendance at seminars, and directed readings. Experience will be gained though the process of collaboration with the mentoring team and in the process of completing the proposed research project under the mentors? supervision. It is anticipated that knowledge gained from the research will inform intervention efforts for abused children and their families and will advance the articulation of socialization models of psychopathology. The first aim of the study is to examine possible pathways from abusive parenting to children?s social and academic adjustment in the school environment. The pathways to be examined are based on socialization theories of child psychopathology and include attachment theory and a social information processing framework. This aim represents the group-oriented approach to understanding sequelae of abuse. The second aim of the proposed research is to identify factors associated with stability and malleability of adaptation as children negotiate the transition from childcare to a formal schooling environment. The degree to which the salience of protective and risk factors change as the child progresses through that developmental task will be investigated. This aim represents a person-oriented level of analysis of maltreated children.