ITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: ASSOCIATIONS WITH HOUSEHOLD SIZE IN LATINE FAMILIES

Despite the growing diversity of family structures in the United States, much of developmental research remains centered on White, nuclear family models, limiting the generalizability of findings for culturally and socioeconomically diverse populations. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model and the Integrative Model for minority child development, the presented study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between household size, defined as the number of adult household members, and cognitive and behavioral outcomes in early childhood among Latine families. This study also investigates whether home-based family involvement mediates this relationship. Using a Latine subsample (N = 3,673) from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 2010–11 (ECLS-K:2011), a one-way ANOVA and a series of mediation analyses were conducted. Results revealed no significant differences in home-based family involvement across household sizes and no mediating effects of involvement on behavioral or cognitive outcomes. However, family involvement was positively associated with reading and mathematics scores, aligning with prior research on its benefits for cognitive development. The present study highlights the importance of shifting beyond traditional household definitions to more accurately examine family dynamics and developmental processes in research with Latine children.