Early Support From Birth Onwards: ZEPPELIN

Overview

ZEPPELIN (Zurich Equity Prevention Project with Parents Participation and Integration) is a longitudinal, randomized controlled intervention study. The main objective is to examine the effectiveness of the early intervention program "Parents As Teachers" (PAT) in psychosocially disadvantaged families. This includes four aims: 1. Identification of children at risk at an early age, using an interdisciplinary network; 2. Investigation of the acceptability of the program by the parents; 3. Evaluation of the intervention process and efficacy during and immediately after program implementation; 4. Evaluation of the efficacy in terms of child academic performance.

The preschool years represent a critical time period, with major developmental milestones in cognitive, linguistic, motoric, and emotional areas. Families tend to manage this sensitive phase in different ways, which results in an uneven distribution of educational opportunities at school entry. However, prior evidence shows that these disparities can be reduced by means of evidence-based programs in early childhood care and education (ECCE). The main focus is on the prevention of learning and behavioral disorders; for small children, this occurs by means of strengthening parenting skills. ZEPPELIN (Zurich Equity Prevention Project with Parents Participation and Integration) is a longitudinal, randomized controlled intervention study. The main objective is to examine the of the early intervention program "Parents As Teachers" (PAT) in psychosocially disadvantaged families. This includes four aims: 1. Identification of children at risk at an early age, using an interdisciplinary network; 2. Investigation of the acceptability of the program in parents; 3. Evaluation of the intervention process and efficacy during and immediately after program implementation; 4. Evaluation of the efficacy in terms of child academic performance. Families were recruited in the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland, shortly before or after giving birth. Baseline measurements were conducted at 3 months postnatal (t0), before participants were assigned to either the intervention group (IG, receiving the early intervention program PAT) or control group (CG) condition, using a stratified block randomization. Follow-up data was collected at three measurement time points around the first, second and third birthday of the children (t1, t2, t3). Further follow-up measurements will be conducted in 2017 (t4; in the 1st year of kindergarten), 2018 (t5; in the 2nd year of kindergarten), 2019 (t6; after school transition), and in 2021 (t7; in the 3rd year of primary school). This will allow us to investigate medium-term and long-term effects of early developmental conditions. ZEPPELIN 0-3 is the first ECCE program in Switzerland that specifically targets and recruits at risk families from birth on. Families then participate in an experimental field study including a longitudinal control group comparison. As such, ZEPPELIN fills an important gap in the current literature.