Integrated Relationships Matter in Early Head Start Programs: Associations with Children’s Social-emotional Competence

Abstract This study examined how parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of parent-teacher relationships in Early Head Start programs are associated with children’s social emotional competence, both directly and indirectly, through parent-child and teacher-child relationships. Strong parent-teacher partnerships are essential in early childhood settings—especially for infants and toddlers—as they contribute to consistent and supportive caregiving environments. However, limited research has explored how the interconnected relationships among parents, teachers, and children collectively influence children’s social-emotional development. This study utilized data from the Early Head Start Family and Child Experiences Study, including 748 teachers and 1,337 infants and toddlers in center-based programs. The direct model showed that teacher-perceived parent-teacher relationships were significantly associated with children’s social-emotional competence. In the indirect model, teacher perceptions of their relationships with parents were also linked to both parent-child and teacher-child relationships, which, in turn, were positively associated with children’s social-emotional competence. However, only the indirect pathway from teacher-perceived parent-teacher relationships to children’s social-emotional competence through teacher-child relationships was statistically significant. In addition, parent-child and teacher-child relationships were significantly correlated, while teacher- and parent-perceived parent-teacher relationships were not. These findings highlight the importance of fostering strong parent-teacher partnerships to support young children’s social-emotional development, particularly through high-quality teacher-child relationships.