Evaluation of the effectiveness of a pilot program that promotes sensitive response in the educational staff of Chilean nursery schools

The relationship between the sensitive response of the caregiver and the formation of secure attachments in infants has been widely studied. It is within this framework that the present investigation examined the effect of an intervention that promotes sensitive response in nursery school caregivers. The intervention took place in early education centers for children between 0 and 2 years of age, from a low socio-economic background and identified as being at psychosocial risk. Using the Care Index (Crittenden, 1985), 53 nursery school caregivers were evaluated at the beginning, middle and end of the intervention. The results indicate a significant increase in the sensitive response of the participants as much at the middle as at the end of the intervention. This study discusses the implications of the results for early childhood education, especially, in cases where the child is identified as being in psychosocial risk.