FINANCIAL RESOURCES, PARENT PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING, PARENT CO-CAREGIVING, AND EARLY ADOLESCENT COMPETENCE IN RURAL 2-PARENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN FAMILIES

We proposed a family process model that links family financial resourc es to academic competence and socioemotional adjustment during early a dolescence. The sample included 90 9-12-year-old African-American yout hs and their married parents who lived in the rural South. The theoret ical constructs in the model were measured via a multimethod, multi-in formant design. Rural African-American community members participated in the development of the self-report instruments and observational re search methods. The results largely supported the hypotheses. Lack of family financial resources led to greater depression and less optimism in mothers and fathers, which in turn were linked with co-caregiving support and conflict. The associations among the co-caregiving process es and youth academic and socioemotional competence were mediated by t he development of youth self-regulation. Disruptions in parental co-ca regiving interfered with the development of self-regulation. This inte rference negatively influenced youths' academic competence and socioem otional adjustment.