Characteristics of the families assisted by the Better Early Childhood Program in the city of Pelotas, RS

Abstract

Introduction: The Better Early Childhood Program (PIM) is a public policy aimed at promoting the integral development of children. Knowing the characteristics of the population served by the program can help in choosing appropriate strategies that aim at more effective and less costly early interventions.

Objective: To describe the sociodemographic characteristics and frequency of family stimulation directed at children aged 0 to 3 years, assisted by the PIM in Pelotas-RS.

Materials and methods: variables were collected in the database of said program, where the cadastral data were inserted after application of a structured questionnaire carried out by trained visitors.

Results: The sample consisted of 1077 families. The main caregiver of the child is the mother (89% n = 958), while the main economic provider is the father (48.8% n = 526). Most families (87.3% n = 940) receive up to two minimum wages. Regarding infant stimulation, most families never show figures or books (52.6% n = 567) and do not tell stories (57.8% n = 623) for the child.

Conclusion: this study offers relevant results that can serve as a guide for new research related to this topic, as well as important data to be added in the elaboration of interventions and collaboration of public policies focused on early childhood.