Head Start: Early Interventions for Children & Families

Early childhood is a foundational stage. During these first few years, the brain develops rapidly, forming the building blocks for attention, emotional regulation, and peer relationships. This period is also when early interventions for children can make the most impact. 

Research shows that nearly half of preschool-aged children from low-income families in Head Start programs show signs of risk factors associated with conduct problems or low social competence, both at home and in the classroom. These challenges emerge when a child’s social development is most sensitive to external influence. 

Incredible Years is a research-backed early intervention for children designed to strengthen the caregiving environments that shape children's social development. From improving parenting skills to boosting teacher effectiveness, it's one of the most impactful early childhood programs available today. 

Incredible Years within Head Start classrooms is a sustainable solution to support school readiness and reduce long-term risks. Incredible Years offers a proven model of what works and demonstrates why early interventions for children matter more than ever. 

Evidence-Based Effectiveness of Incredible Years as an Early Intervention for Children 

Rooted in decades of behavioral science, The Incredible Years provides a structured, evidence-based framework that strengthens the relationships most essential to a child's early development. Coordinated training for parents, teachers, and children offers one of the most effective early interventions for children navigating behavioral, emotional, and social challenges. 

Multiple randomized control trials demonstrate how Incredible Years improves a child's social development, emotional regulation, and classroom readiness. One major study found that children whose parents and teachers participated in Incredible Years exhibited fewer conduct problems, stronger peer relationships, and greater engagement with classroom activities. 

In the Chicago School Readiness Project, for example, Head Start teachers trained in the Incredible Years model showed significant improvements in emotional support, classroom management, and responsiveness to student needs. These changes translated into better school experiences for young children, particularly those growing up in high-stress, low-income communities. 

For families in Head Start with a history of child maltreatment (a group often considered the hardest to reach), the outcomes were equally promising. A 2013 study showed that Incredible Years led to measurable gains in parenting and child behavior, even in higher-risk populations. That kind of reach matters. These outcomes mean that early interventions for children like Incredible Years don't just work in ideal conditions; they work where needed most. 

Inside the Incredible Years Model: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Early Interventions for Children 

The success of Incredible Years lies not in a single lesson plan or workbook but in its layered, interconnected design. It's a multi-tiered system of early interventions for children that equips the adults with the tools they need to guide growth, manage behavior, nurture resilience, and build a child’s social development. 

This comprehensive approach is built around aligned programming for the entire caregiving and educational ecosystem. Parents participate in evidence-based parenting training, children engage in the engaging and developmentally appropriate Dinosaur School curriculum, and teachers receive professional development through our Teacher Training programs. By working across all three domains—home, school, and therapeutic support—the Incredible Years ensures that children receive consistent social-emotional learning (SEL) reinforcement both at home and in the Head Start classroom. This wrap-around model maximizes impact by ensuring that every adult in the child’s environment is working collaboratively with shared strategies and language. 

Parent Training Series 

The Incredible Years' evidence-based parenting programs focus on building warm, responsive relationships at home. Through group sessions, parents learn critical skills like reducing harsh discipline, boosting positive reinforcement, and using play as a bridge to cooperation and emotional understanding. 

The Toddler Parenting Program (Basic)--1-3 yr olds-- equips parents with strategies to nurture secure attachments while supporting language, emotional, and social development in their young children. Parents develop skills for establishing consistent routines, managing separations, and implementing positive discipline techniques appropriate for toddlers. 

For families with preschoolers, the Preschool Parenting Program (Basic)--3-6 yr olds-- strengthens parent-child bonds while reducing reliance on harsh discipline. The recently enhanced Preschool Parenting Program 2.0 offers expanded resources designed to build emotional resilience and school readiness, encouraging productive partnerships between parents and early childhood program educators. 

Complementing these targeted early childhood porgrams, the Attentive Parenting Program—2-6 yr olds-- serves as a universal approach suitable for all families seeking to promote emotional regulation, social skills, and problem-solving abilities in their children. While not designed for significant behavioral challenges, it provides valuable supplementary support and follow-up reinforcement to the core early childhood programs and helps build on child social development. 

Watch this video to hear reflections about how the Incredible Years Parent Program works for Head Start families. Research spanning two decades across the US, Wales, and Ireland confirms that implementing these programs in Head Start settings creates a powerful synergy between home and classroom environments. When parents and teachers simultaneously apply these techniques, children show greater improvements in social competence, emotional regulation, and academic engagement than when either approach is used alone. These findings underscore why Incredible Years has become an essential building block for Head Start programs focused on developing the whole child through coordinated support systems. 

Incredible Beginnings® Program 

In the classroom, the Incredible Beginnings® Program provides specialized training for leaders of teachers and childcare providers working with children ages 1-5 years old. This early-childhood program is particularly relevant for Head Start environments, where creating developmentally appropriate and emotionally supportive learning spaces is crucial. 

Teachers acquire skills in social and emotional coaching, nurturing child-directed play through descriptive commenting, and implementing predictable routines that create security and confidence in the classroom. The program emphasizes building positive relationships using sensitive and responsive approaches—foundational elements that align perfectly with Head Start's mission to support the whole child. 

What distinguishes the Incredible Beginnings® Program is its focus on the specific developmental needs of children ages 1-5, providing Head Start teachers with age-appropriate techniques that create calm, engaging learning environments where young children can thrive emotionally and socially. This training can help reduce classroom disruptions while increasing opportunities for meaningful learning interactions, setting the stage for children's long-term academic success. 

Child Dinosaur Curriculum for Young Learners 

The Child Dinosaur Programs are playful, developmentally tailored SEL interventions that help young learners build essential skills like problem-solving, emotional regulation, friendly communication, and more. Children learn how to manage big feelings and navigate peer relationships confidently with dinosaur puppets, stories, and roleplay. 

What makes Incredible Years stand out is the synergy between these tiers. When parents, teachers, and children work from the same playbook, the results are more consistent and impactful. Behavior regulation becomes a shared goal. Emotional skills are reinforced at home and at school. And child social development flourishes. 

The program also prioritizes individuals with accessibility needs, making sure that Incredible Years is one of the most adaptable and impactful early interventions for children. 

Long-Term Benefits of Incredible Years in Head Start Programs 

Early interventions for children solve today's challenges while shaping tomorrow's outcomes. The benefits of Incredible Years extend well beyond a single school year, with long-term improvements in parenting, teaching, and most importantly, child social development. 

Sustained Outcomes That Extend Beyond Preschool 

In follow-up studies, children whose families participated in Incredible Years showed fewer behavior problems, better emotional regulation, and stronger social skills a year or more after the intervention ended. These are not isolated results. 

In a randomized trial conducted in Jamaica, preschoolers in low-income communities who experienced the Incredible Years Teacher Training Program demonstrated significantly fewer conduct problems and improved classroom behavior and friendships months later. 

Teacher Training as Workforce Development 

But the benefits aren't limited to children and families. Head Start teachers trained in the program report lasting improvements in their ability to manage classrooms, support student behavior, and stay emotionally responsive to their students' needs. 

In the previously mentioned Chicago School Readiness Project, emotional climate, teacher sensitivity, burnout, and behavior management all improved. Even more important? Burnout declined. That's a big deal in early childhood programs, where stress and turnover are high. When teachers feel more equipped and supported, they stay and thrive. And so do their students. 

Embed Proven Early Interventions for Children into Your Early Childhood Programs  

The Incredible Years program proves that real change happens when we give educators, parents, and children the right tools. 

The evidence is consistent across studies, settings, and populations: Incredible Years improves child social development, reduces conduct problems, and builds the capacity of early childhood programs to meet the needs of their communities. These results show up in calmer classrooms, stronger families, and children who are better equipped to manage emotions, form friendships, and thrive in school. 

Early childhood programs like Incredible Years should be the center of the conversation when looking for scalable solutions. When embedded within trusted frameworks like Head Start, these early interventions for children become even more powerful as they reach families who need them most and prepare children for a lifetime of learning. Because the earlier we start, the better the outcomes will be. 

Learn how to launch or strengthen your early interventions for children in the Incredible Years Startup and Sustainability Guide. It offers practical steps, expert tips, and proven strategies to help you implement high-impact child social development programs that make a real difference in the families you serve. 

Incredible Years is dedicated to providing evidence-based programs designed to aid early interventions for children in order to improve their emotional and social competencies, focusing on equipping parents, caregivers, and teachers with necessary strategies and support. Our unique approach is designed to address each child's individual needs and help them thrive. For more information about our programs and how they can help you, visit our Programs page.