In order to improve the breadth and depth of the child evaluations, the Three-City Study includes an embedded development study (EDS). All children in that age 2 to 4 at wave 1 of the longitudinal were eligible for the EDS (N=737). The EDS component incorporates videotaping and coding of caregiver-child interactions, time-diary studies, and observations of child-care settings.

We focused the EDS on preschoolers because children in this age range embark upon developmental paths that, in turn, drive later intellectual, social and physical growth. Researchers are devoting growing attention to the importance of children’s school readiness in the years prior to kindergarten. Mothers also face challenges during this period in providing appropriate warmth, limit setting, and learning opportunities, as well as in meeting the great time demands of caring for preschool children and finding appropriate alternate care.

We gathered detailed, process-oriented measures that provide information not easily collected in standard surveys. The EDS contains three components: (1) an additional home visit with mother and child, which includes videotaped tasks for the child and the mother-child together, as well as an additional mother interview (Wave 1 N=626 for mother interview, 85% response rate; N=587 for videotaped assessments) (2) a visit to the child’s primary care provider (other than the mother), which includes observational ratings of the care and an interview with the childcare provider (of 358 eligible children at wave 1, 249 participated, 70% response rate); and (3) an interview with the child’s biological father (N=272, 37% response rate. Response rates vary depending on father’s household residence status and time since his last visit with the focal child).

Mother interviews, which generally lasted about one hour, provided further information on children’s and mothers’ social networks and relationships, as well as on the mothers’ reports of feelings and experiences related to balancing work and family life. Mothers also reported on their child’s temperament and activities they share with their child. Videotaped assessments of the child and the child-mother tasks, which generally lasted 30-40 minutes, provided ratings of the child’s behaviors, mother’s parenting behaviors, and mother-child interactions.

Father interviews were conducted with the child’s biological father when the mother provided contact information and we were able to locate the father. During hour-long face-to-face interviews, fathers completed a battery of measures focused on four main areas: basic demographic information; psychological functioning and involvement in illegal activities; involvement with the focal child and parenting practices; and ratings of the focal child, providing an additional report to supplement those from the mother and the childcare provider.

The primary nonmaternal care provider also participated in a face-to-face 45-minute interview. Care providers reported on numerous characteristics of the childcare, including the number of hours per week the child is in care, child-staff ratio, fees, caregiver training, and the caregiver-mother relationship. Care providers also provided assessments of the focal child including school readiness and positive and problem behaviors.

The table below describes the measures obtained in the EDS at wave 1.

The mother and care provider components of the EDS were also conducted at wave 2, when focal children were between the ages of 3 and 6. If the focal child was residing with a new primary caregiver at wave 2, that caregiver participated in the EDS interview. The father interview was conducted at wave 1 only. For more information on the EDS, see the user’s guides for wave 1 and wave 2. (The EDS was discontinued at wave 3.)

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