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All parents with children enrolled in the Community Action Project of Tulsa County (CAP Tulsa) Head Start programs were invited to apply for CareerAdvance. A total of 317 parents applied to participate, of which 221 were accepted, and 162 of those who were accepted enrolled in the program in the 2011 to 2014 cohorts. Eligibility was based on having a child enrolled in CAP Tulsa Head Start, as well as an interview, background check, drug test, current health, English language proficiency, and ability to enroll in courses at the local community college. The study team identified 176 parents for the comparison group that had children enrolled in CAP Tulsa Head Start and were similar to parents in the intervention group based on a large number of characteristics, including neighborhood, race, gender, age, education, relationship to the child enrolled in Head Start, single-parent status, foster-parent status, and household income.
Individuals enrolled in CareerAdvance between 2011 and 2014. They were followed for about one year after they began the program.
Funding was provided by the Administration of Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grants 90FX00100 and 90PH0020); the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Grant P3020014); and the Foundation for Child Development (Grant Northwestern 06-2014).
Participants in the study were parents with children enrolled in the CAP Head Start program. Most of the sample consisted of mothers in their late 20s or early 30s. Almost all (98 percent) sample members were female, and about one-third (32 percent) were single parents. The average age was 29. About 40 percent of participants were Black, 28 percent were White, 9 percent were Hispanic, and 23 percent were of another racial or ethnic background. Seven percent of participants had less than a high school degree, while the majority of participants either had a high school degree or equivalent certificate (44 percent) or another certificate or associate's degree (44 percent). Average annual household income at baseline was $15,190.
CAP Tulsa provided all services.
CareerAdvance was established in 2008.
Participants in the intervention group were parents with children enrolled in the CAP Tulsa Head Start program, who applied, were accepted, and ultimately enrolled in the CareerAdvance training program. CareerAdvance is a two-generation program combining a sectoral career pathways training and certification program for parents with high quality early education benefits (provided through Head Start) for children. Intervention participants enrolled in one of three programs linked to a health care career track (nursing, health information technology, or medical assisting). Each track consisted of a sequence of education and training activities, along with opportunities to attain sectoral certifications. Participants also received funding for tuition, books, and supplies; additional child care assistance (if child care was needed outside CAP Tulsa Head Start hours); financial incentives for meeting program milestones; and coaching. They could also attend peer support groups.
Individuals in the comparison condition had children enrolled in the CAP Head Start program but did not receive additional services from CareerAdvance.
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CareerAdvance training modules are stackable, meaning that participants can exit either permanently or temporarily at multiple points in the program with a credential. Sixty-four percent of participants were still enrolled in CareerAdvance at one year after enrollment. For participants who left the program before the one-year mark, the average tenure in the program was 250 days.
The study did not describe program funding sources.
This study took place in Tulsa, OK.
Psychological well-being; material hardship