Research

In January 2010, Baby TALK used seed money to support the organization’s mission – to positively impact child development and nurture healthy parent-child relationships during the critical early years – through applied research. Building a research component into Baby TALK’s mission was to ensure the organization met all requirements as an evidence-based early childhood intervention model and would allow Baby TALK to gain the benefits attached to the designation.

What does Baby TALK want to study?

Current research efforts focus on the implementation of the Baby TALK model in various communities, the participants identified and recruited using the model, and specific programs (e.g. home-visitation) that serve high-risk families with young children. Future research will need to focus on child and family outcomes tied to the Baby TALK model; specifically, the impact of intervention on young mothers, toxic stress levels for mother and child, and school readiness outcomes.

At the November 30, 2012 Prevention Initiative Advisory Committee Meeting, the Illinois State Board of Education representatives reported on the number of children enrolled in the state data collection system (SIS) and funded by Prevention Initiative. The total number of children enrolled totals 13,579. Of that number, 6,350 children are being served by programs across the state implementing the Baby TALK Model.

What's new?

Publications

The Baby TALK model: An innovative approach to identifying high-risk children and families (Research Report, 2012)
This research report examines the Baby TALK model, an innovative early childhood intervention approach used to identify, recruit, and serve young children who are at-risk for developmental delays, mental health needs, and/or school failure, and their families.

A Report on Risk Characteristics Among Young Children and Families in the Baby TALK Demonstration Program: 2008-2010, with Select Comparative Local, State, and National Data from 2003-2010. (Research Brief, 2011)
In this research brief, we examine the risk characteristics of children and families in the Baby TALK demonstration program and compare those characteristics with demographic data at the county, state, and federal level.

In the Field

Baby TALK presents at the 27th Zero to Three National Training Institute – Los Angeles, CA "Newborn Encounters: A strengths-based approach to identifying newborns and new parents in need of early intervention services." (December 2012)
The poster presentation describes the Newborn Encounter tool, an innovative screening tool used by hospital obstetric units for identifying newborns and new parents in need of early intervention services.

Projects

The Baby TALK Model Fidelity and Self-Assessment Project
This project provides efforts and activities to inform and advance achievement of a unified, statewide system of high quality Home Visiting to ensure sustained gains from the use of the grant to Illinois.