Retaining Infants and Young Children Who Experience Transitions in Care in Longitudinal Studies of Child Health and Development: Considerations from the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study
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| Title: | Retaining Infants and Young Children Who Experience Transitions in Care in Longitudinal Studies of Child Health and Development: Considerations from the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Julie Poehlmann (ORCID |
| Source: | Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood. 2026 47(1). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institutes of Health (NIH) (DHHS) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (DHHS/NIH) |
| Contract Number: | U01DA055352 U01DA055353 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research Tests/Questionnaires |
| Descriptors: | Infants, Young Children, Child Development, Child Health, Child Care, Transitional Programs, Family Relationship, Foster Care, Longitudinal Studies, Cohort Analysis, Mental Health, Cognitive Development, Consent, Child Welfare, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Documentation |
| DOI: | 10.1002/imhj.70057 |
| ISSN: | 0163-9641 1097-0355 |
| Abstract: | A transition in care (TIC) is a significant change in the primary adults who provide care for a child, involving a move to informal or formal non-parental care, including kinship and foster care. In this paper, we address three issues: (1) the theoretical and empirical reasons for retaining infants and children who experience TIC in longitudinal studies of child health and development; (2) the import of retaining infants and children who experience TIC in studies focusing on parental substance use; and (3) methodological strategies for following children with TIC. We discuss the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study as an example of how a large prospective longitudinal cohort study can retain children who experience TIC, describing strategies such as: (1) documenting the frequency and contexts of these transitions and their associations with child health, mental health, and neurodevelopment; (2) attending to consent and mandated reporting requirements; (3) being sensitive to state child welfare policies and practices; (4) addressing retention challenges; (5) focusing on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (6) establishing methods that document transitions and flexibly follow children as they grow older. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://hbcdstudy.org/data-sharing |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1493604 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | A transition in care (TIC) is a significant change in the primary adults who provide care for a child, involving a move to informal or formal non-parental care, including kinship and foster care. In this paper, we address three issues: (1) the theoretical and empirical reasons for retaining infants and children who experience TIC in longitudinal studies of child health and development; (2) the import of retaining infants and children who experience TIC in studies focusing on parental substance use; and (3) methodological strategies for following children with TIC. We discuss the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) study as an example of how a large prospective longitudinal cohort study can retain children who experience TIC, describing strategies such as: (1) documenting the frequency and contexts of these transitions and their associations with child health, mental health, and neurodevelopment; (2) attending to consent and mandated reporting requirements; (3) being sensitive to state child welfare policies and practices; (4) addressing retention challenges; (5) focusing on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and (6) establishing methods that document transitions and flexibly follow children as they grow older. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0163-9641 1097-0355 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/imhj.70057 |
