Findings from the Kids in Communities Study (KiCS): A mixed methods study examining community-level influences on early childhood development

Article


Goldfeld, Sharon, Villanueva, Karen, Tanton, Robert, Katz, Ilan, Brinkman, Sally, Giles-Corti, Billie and Woolcock, Geoffrey. 2021. "Findings from the Kids in Communities Study (KiCS): A mixed methods study examining community-level influences on early childhood development." PLoS One. 16 (9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256431
Article Title

Findings from the Kids in Communities Study (KiCS): A mixed methods study examining community-level influences on early childhood development

ERA Journal ID39745
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsGoldfeld, Sharon, Villanueva, Karen, Tanton, Robert, Katz, Ilan, Brinkman, Sally, Giles-Corti, Billie and Woolcock, Geoffrey
Journal TitlePLoS One
Journal Citation16 (9)
Article Numbere0256431
Number of Pages21
Year2021
PublisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS)
Place of PublicationUnited States
ISSN1932-6203
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256431
Web Address (URL)https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0256431
Abstract

There is increasing international interest in place-based approaches to improve early childhood development (ECD) outcomes. The available data and evidence are limited and precludes well informed policy and practice change. Developing the evidence-base for community-level effects on ECD is one way to facilitate more informed and targeted community action. This paper presents overall final findings from the Kids in Communities Study (KiCS), an Australian mixed methods investigation into community-level effects on ECD in five domains of influence–physical, social, governance, service, and sociodemographic. Twenty five local communities(suburbs) across Australia were selected based on ‘diagonality type’ i.e. whether they performed better (off-diagonal positive),worse (off-diagonal negative), or ‘as expected’ (on-diagonal) on the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) relative to their socioeconomic profile. The approach was designed to determine replicable and modifiable factors that were separate to socioeconomic status. Between 2015–2017, stakeholder interviews (n = 146), parent and service provider focus groups (n = 51),and existing socio-economic and early childhood education and care administrative data were collected. Qualitative and quantitative data analyses were undertaken to understand differences between 14 paired disadvantaged local communities (i.e. on versus off-diagonal). Further analysis of qualitative data elicited important factors for all 25 local communities. From this, we developed a draft set of ‘Foundational Community Factors’ (FCFs); these are the factors that lay the foundations of a good community for young children.

KeywordsKids in Communities Study; community-level; early childhood development
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020330401. Community planning
420601. Community child health
440610. Social geography
Byline AffiliationsRoyal Children’s Hospital, Victoria
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia
University of Melbourne
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
University of Canberra
University of New South Wales
University of Western Australia
University of Adelaide
Institute for Resilient Regions
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