Could a simple home program level the playing field for kids in poverty?
NCT ID NCT06701240
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This study tests a program called ParentChild+ that sends a trained specialist to families' homes to support early learning and provide books and toys. The goal is to see if this can improve parents' mental health, parenting behaviors, and children's vocabulary, behavior, and brain development. Families with young children (18-36 months) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch are randomly assigned to either this program or a nutrition-focused control group. The trial compares outcomes between the two groups to see if the early learning support makes a difference.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ParentChild+ (a strengths-based, community-grounded early literacy intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this program could offer a scalable way to support early childhood development and reduce the impact of poverty on children's learning and brain development.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is relatively small and measures many outcomes, so results may be mixed or not apply to all families. The intervention relies on community specialists, which may be hard to replicate widely.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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