Vidensbaseret indsats over for udsatte børn i dagtilbud - modelprogram: VIDA-forskningsrapport 1. Effekter af VIDA.

The report illustrates the effect of a new intervention programme developed for and implemented in Danish daycare facilities. The main intervention consists of pedagogical intervention aimed at early childhood educators and daycare managers. Early childhood educators and managers are trained in working with a theoretical (knowledge-based), targeted and systematic approach. The study examines whether this intervention improves quality at daycare facilities. The intervention is expected to have positive effects on all children and particularly on socially vulnerable children. The intervention is primarily expected to improve the children's social-emotional and cognitive skills.

The effect measurement shows that the VIDA basis model programme has positive effects on some of the children's social-emotional skills. More specifically, the intervention reduces the children's emotional problems and their behavioural problems compared with those of the control group. The effect size is around 0.25. The intervention does not have a documented effect on hyperactivity, friendship and prosocial behaviour. The effects mentioned are not greater for the most socially vulnerable children. In addition, the results show that the VIDA basis+ intervention has weaker effects, as only the children's behavioural problems are reduced compared with the control group.

The study proves no effects of VIDA on the children's cognitive skills and learning.

The interventions from the research project ‘Knowledge-Based Efforts for Socially Disadvantaged Children in Day-Care’ (VIDA) was implemented in 2011 and completed in 2013. The VIDA intervention programme was completed as a randomised, controlled trial, and the randomisation was carried out at institution level. A total of four municipalities took part in the trial with daycare facilities for children aged 3-6 years. The randomisation was based on a stratification of the daycare facilities into six groups, categorised on the basis of the percentage of socially vulnerable children. This percentage was calculated on the basis of information from Statistics Denmark; information was collected about the parents' level of education, use of social benefits and their attachment to the labour market. Within each of the six stratification groups, the daycare centres were selected randomly to take part in the VIDA basis model programme, the VIDA basis+ parent model programme or in the control group. The VIDA project tests the VIDA basis model programme and the VIDA basis+ parent model programme against a reference group (the control group). The VIDA basis+ parent model programme differs from the VIDA basis model programme by involving parents to a higher degree.

The analysis of the report is based on data from a total of 129 daycare centres from four municipalities, and data from about 2000 children aged 3-6 years are included. Early childhood educators completed three different questionnaires for each child: at the beginning of the intervention (1st step), half-way (2nd step) and at the end of the intervention (3rd step). The effects were analysed on the basis of measuring tools such as the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). These tools measure children's social and emotional learning skills. The data collection took place from 2011 to 2013.

Jensen, B., Jensen, P., Rasmussen A.W. (2013). Vidensbaseret indsats over for udsatte børn i dagtilbud - modelprogram: VIDA-forskningsrapport 1. Effekter af VIDA, Aarhus Universitet, Institut for Uddannelse og Pædagogik.