INTEGRATING AN EMOTIONAL REGULATION PERSPECTIVE IN A PROGRAM OF PRENATAL AND EARLY-CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION

This paper highlights theoretical and practical issues concerning the ways in which emotional development and regulation processes of the mo ther-infant dyad are influenced by home visitation. The role of emotio n regulation and emotional availability, important mediators of progra m influence on a variety of child and family outcomes are discussed. E motion regulating capacities of the infant are reviewed in light of bo th early intervention and later development. Caregiving is discussed i n the context of the child's emotion regulation needs. We describe how methods to promote emotionally available caregiving have been incorpo rated into a program of prenatal and early childhood home visitation i n Denver, Colorado. This includes the provision of structured interact ive guidance and the development of a helping relationship between mot her and hone visitor. Finally, the operationalization of emotion, regu lation and emotional availability for the evaluation of the effectiven ess of the program model are discussed. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, In c.