Early Impact

According to a 2020 study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, kindergarten readiness can have an impact on how successful a child is in high school and beyond, leading to better grades and lower dropout rates as well as better health and lifestyle habits. Children who enter school with key readiness skills have an 82 percent chance of mastering basic skills by age 11, compared with 45 percent for young children who are not “kindergarten ready.” Yet many children face barriers that prevent a strong start. By the time children from low-income families begin school, many already score significantly lower than their peers on reading and math achievement tests (Rouse et al., 2005).

A study by Overdeck Family Foundation grantee Family Connects found that 94-99% of families expressed a desire for community resources. This number is likely now higher during the COVID-19 pandemic: recent data suggests that families are navigating unprecedented health, emotional, and economic uncertainty, putting the parenting practice and mindset gains of the last 30 years at risk. Since March, in research conducted by the RAPID-EC project out of the University of Oregon, 27% of parents and >50% of low-income parents reported worsening mental health for themselves, and 14% reported worsening behavioral health for their children.

Demand for grantees who provide a way for teachers to connect with students grew dramatically since March, with FASTalk experiencing 4x growth and doubled earned revenue and TalkingPoints expanding its reach more than 6x to connect 3+ million teachers and families. Literacy assessment data showed that FASTalk students outperformed similar, non-FASTalk students, and 97% of educators who use TalkingPoints reported that it was helpful or somewhat helpful in improving student behavior, engagement, and outcomes.

A longitudinal study (Pediatrics, 2018) by Overdeck Family Foundation grantee LENA found a strong correlation between parental and child conversational turns at ages one through three with language and IQ at ages nine through 13. Additionally, research from grantee partner I-LABS has found that child language development accelerates faster when parents interact and engage more with their young children.

A national survey co-funded by the Overdeck Family Foundation found that parents were most likely to seek advice from within their own social networks, with 86% looking to immediate family members and 73% relying on friends. 83% also sought advice from healthcare professionals. These sources were not only the most frequently consulted, but the most trusted.

Centering Healthcare Institute’s coaching method, which takes place through group-based prenatal and pediatric healthcare visits, has resulted in impressive results: Families who participate in CenteringPregnancy show a 33 percent to 47 percent decreased risk of preterm birth, better attendance for prenatal and postpartum visits, and greater readiness for birth and infant care than those in traditional care. And grantees such as LENA and I-LABS both use technology-informed coaching to improve parent and child language interactions. Early evidence from these interventions suggests that the coaching is effective at improving both short and long-term child language outcomes.