Parent Interviews and Direct Assessments of Children Survey (PIDACS)
The PIDACS examines the relationship between children’s development and various family and community factors that could influence that development.
It has two parts:
1. An interview with the person most knowledgeable (PMK) about the child - usually a parent or guardian - to obtain information on:
- the family
- the child’s development
- the child’s experiences in the community.
2. Three direct assessment activities with the child which look at:
- Picture Vocabulary – looks at receptive or hearing vocabulary, words children use for things that they see.
- Who Am I? – looks at copying and printing skills related to early literacy and the understanding of shapes
- Number Knowledge – the understanding of numbers, counting, number sequence, simple arithmetic
The survey is conducted by an independent contractor hired by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
- The contractor is also responsible for analyzing the data and writing community-specific research reports based on the EDI and PIDACS results for each UEY site.
- The data collection is done in collaboration with participating parents, schools, school boards, and the UEY coordinator.
- The UEY Selkirk-Interlake coordinator and researcher provide local coordination and support, such as providing information to parents and schools, obtaining permission forms from participating parents, and acting as a liaison to the contractor hired by HRSDC
The Understanding the Early Years initiative is funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. For further information, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca
