Evidence mapPaperPMID 40723005Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Strengthening Early Childhood Protective Factors Through Safe and Supportive Classrooms: Findings from Jump Start + COVID Support.

Ruby Natale, Tara Kenworthy LaMarca, Yue Pan, Elizabeth Howe, Yaray Agosto, Rebecca J Bulotsky-Shearer, Sara M St George, Tanha Rahman, Carolina Velasquez, Jason F Jent

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ruby NataleMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6393-7296
Tara Kenworthy LaMarcaMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Yue PanDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Elizabeth HoweMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Yaray AgostoMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6422-4674
Rebecca J Bulotsky-ShearerDepartment of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7974-0487
Sara M St GeorgeDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7263-4609
Tanha RahmanMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Carolina VelasquezMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Jason F JentMailman Center for Child Development, School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.

Funding

NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD105474NIH HHS 1R01HD105474-03
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesEarly care and education programs promote children's social-emotional development, predicting later school success. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened an existing youth mental health crisis and increased teacher stress. Therefore, we applied an infant and early childhood mental health consultation model, Jump Start Plus COVID Support (JS+CS), aiming to decrease behavioral problems in children post-pandemic.

methodsA cluster randomized controlled trial compared JS+CS to an active control, Healthy Caregivers-Healthy Children (HC2), at 30 ECE centers in low-income areas in South Florida. Participants were not blinded to group assignment. Teachers reported on children's social-emotional development at baseline and post-intervention using the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We assessed whether teacher stress, classroom practices, and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between JS+CS and child outcomes. We also explored whether baseline behavior problems moderated JS+CS effects on child protective factors, relative to HC2.

resultsDirect group-by-time differences between JS+CS and HC2 were limited. However, JS+CS demonstrated significant within-group improvements in teacher-reported child protective factors, behavior support practices, and classroom safety practices. Classroom safety practices consistently mediated positive changes in child behaviors, including the DECA total protective factor score and subdomains of initiative and self-regulation. Additionally, teacher perceptions of behavior support mediated gains in child attachment.

conclusionsJS+CS shows promise in building protective systems around children through intentional support for teachers, underscoring the value of whole-child, whole-environment approaches in early intervention.

Indexed as

behavior problemsCOVID-19infant and early childhood mental health consultationprotective factorssocial–emotional development

Identifiers

PMID40723005
PMCPMC12293144

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.