Academic progress of children who attended a preschool for abused children: A follow-up of the keepsafe project

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess academic progress of childre n 1 to 5 years after graduating from the C. Henry Kempe Center's Therapeuti c Preschool Day Treatment Program. Method: Information was gathered through chart review; telephone surveys of care providers, relatives, and social service workers; as well questionnai res on all children who attended the therapeutic preschool day treatment pr ogram between 1984 and 1989, including the 24 children reported on by Gates , Gray, Schweitzer, Kempe, and Harmon, 1995. Results: Classroom placement was determined for 27 of the 44 graduates (61. 4%), 14 of whom (51.9%) were in a regular classroom, 10 (37.0%) in special education, two (7.4%) in residential treatment, acid one (3.7%) was receivi ng home schooling. Twenty-two of the 27 children (81.5%) improved or remain ed in the same grade and type of classroom as they had been staffed into at the time of their graduation from the preschool day treatment program. Fac tors thought to affect stability of classroom placement were studied, of wh ich frequency of family moves was the only significant variable. its signif icance was in the direction opposite to that expected. The most effective m ethod of locating families was to contact the Department of Social Services who provided information used to find 60% of them, Conclusions: Intervention in a therapeutic preschool day treatment program was found to be beneficial, as it enabled most of the children to progress appropriately in public school. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.