In Switzerland, social background and educational career are closely correlated. Against this background, the study ZEPPELIN aims at addressing the problem of inequality from the beginning, i.e., children’s birth. The longitudinal intervention study examines whether selective prevention efforts increase educational opportunities of children from families in psychosocial risk constellations. Background Compared to other European countries, the relationship between family background and educational achievement is especially high in Switzerland and Germany (OECD, 2005). Furthermore, a quite large number of these children are assigned to special education classes or schools (European Agency, 2010). So far, measures addressing this problem only at school age show little effect (Moser & Lanfranchi, 2008). Therefore, disparities in education arising from family background should be addressed at an early age. Early childhood care and education interventions thus focus on the prevention of learning and achievement disorders due to unfavorable starting conditions by strengthening parenting competencies. Objectives ZEPPELIN is an intervention study in collaboration with the Office of Youth and Career Counseling Services (Amt für Jugend und Berufsberatung, AJB) with the following objectives: First, interdisciplinary early recognition of children jeopardised in their development for psychosocial reasons. Second, intensive and case-related early support of these families, in order to increase the long-term educational opportunities of the children. Both objectives are examined by the means of efficacy evaluation. Research question Based on the PPCT design according to Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006) – which considers development as an interaction between person and environment within the context of socio-spatial and timely conditions – ZEPPELIN 0-3 focuses on the question if early support programs affect the development of children (age 0-3) in families with psychosocial risk constellations, and how families and homes are a place of learning and teaching. Intervention An interdisciplinary network of professionals from psychosocial care and medical services is implemented in order to early recognize and recruit families at risk. Early support is provided with the program Parents as Teachers (PAT). PAT meets the most important criteria of effective ECCE programs: a) early start, b) continuity, c) possibility for individualization, d) professionalism of the staff, e) language support, and f) low-threshold access via home visits. Research The study examines the effectiveness of the intervention in a longitudinal experimental design. In this randomized controlled trial (RCT) quantitative and qualitative measures are used in order to examine group differences between an intervention and a control group. The following measures are used to evaluate the effects of the intervention on child development and family functioning at four measurement points (i.e., t0 3-6 months after birth (baseline) and t1, t2, t3, around 12, 24 and 36 months after birth): assessment of stressors and resources (t0), quality of parent-child interaction (t0-t3), infant motor and language developmental test, home environment, and questionnaires assessing parental competencies and attitudes (t1-t3). Follow-ups of the study are planned upon children enter secondary school (ZEPPELIN 5-9 at 12-13 years of age). Importance Family and education policy stresses the importance of early support of disadvantaged children. ZEPPELIN is the first Swiss longitudinal study with a randomised controlled trial in the field of early intervention evaluation research comprising an intervention and a control group. Funding Intervention (4 years/ CHF 2.5M.): Educational Board Zurich (AJB), Lottery Fund of the Canton of Zurich, Federal Office for Migration, Jacobs Foundation, Mercator Foundation Switzerland, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Vontobel Foundation; Research (3 years, CHF 601’000): Swiss National Science Foundation. Under the patronage of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO.

Given the continuing strong link between family background and educational attainment in Switzerland, the fundamental problem of unequal educational opportunities must be addressed from the very start – that is, from the moment a child is born – and specifically within the family as the primary setting for learning. To this end, the longitudinal study ZEPPELIN (Zurich Equity Prevention Project on Parental Involvement and Integration) investigates whether support from birth increases the educational opportunities of children from socially disadvantaged families. With its interdisciplinary approach, this experimental, randomised controlled intervention study, which spans from birth to young adulthood, is unique in Europe. The SNSF has supported ZEPPELIN since 2011; since 2016, ZEPPELIN has been an SNSF-supported research infrastructure. The current focus of the third follow-up is on the transition to upper secondary education. Background: In no other European country apart from Germany are educational opportunities so closely linked to social and family background as in Switzerland (OECD, 2005). In no other country are school children from socially disadvantaged families so severely marginalised (European Agency, 2010). The educational measures taken in Switzerland to support children with unfavourable learning conditions have so far had little effect (Moser & Lanfranchi, 2008). The fundamental problem of educational disparities linked to background must therefore be addressed as early as the pre-school years. Our focus is therefore shifting towards the prevention of learning and performance difficulties at school resulting from unfavourable starting conditions. The focus is now on measures for early childhood education, care and upbringing (ECEC). For young children, this is achieved primarily by strengthening parents’ parenting skills. Objectives: ZEPPELIN is an intervention project run by the Teacher University of Special Education (HfH) in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Canton of Zurich (Office for Youth and Career Guidance, AJB) in the field of selective primary prevention. The aim of the programme is to strengthen the ‘family as a place of learning’ through home visits (twice a month) and group sessions (monthly) during the first three years after the child’s birth. The first objective of the intervention is the interdisciplinary early identification of children whose development is at risk for psychosocial reasons and who are therefore at risk of disability. The second objective is the early support of these children through the ‘PAT – Learning with Parents’ programme, with a view to improving their educational prospects in the long term. The impact evaluation will assess the extent to which these two objectives are achieved. Research question: Drawing on the PPCT model developed by Bronfenbrenner and Morris (2006), in which development is understood as an interaction between the individual and the environment within the context of socio-spatial and temporal conditions, the central question is what effects early intervention measures have on the development of children from families in psychosocial risk situations, and through which mechanisms any such effects come to bear within the family as an educational setting. Intervention approach: Building on the findings of the ZEPPELIN/M feasibility study, an interdisciplinary network was established as part of the main ZEPPELIN 0-3 study for the early identification of families in psychosocial risk situations. This network comprises stakeholders from the medical and psychosocial care sectors. The PAT programme was selected for the early support of these families, as it meets the key criteria of effective early childhood education and care programmes: a) early start, b) continuity, c) opportunities for individualisation, d) professionalism of the staff, e) focus on language development, and f) low-threshold access through home visits. This randomised controlled trial (RCT) examines the long-term effectiveness of the ‘PAT – Learning with Parents’ support programme by comparing families in the intervention group (n = 132) with a control group not participating in PAT (n = 116) (Neuhauser et al. 2015). Following baseline data collection at three months of age, data were collected at annual assessment points around the child’s first, second and third birthdays, as well as during the nursery school years, in the first, second, 3rd, 5th and 6th years of primary school, and during the transition to lower secondary school, characteristics of the children, their parents, parent-child interactions and the school class were recorded. The longitudinal study is now continuing as planned with the third follow-up, supported by the SNSF, through to upper secondary school. Relevance: ZEPPELIN is relevant for two reasons: firstly, early support for disadvantaged children is a regular feature of the education and family policy agenda. Secondly, ZEPPELIN is relevant and innovative in Switzerland due to existing gaps in research, as this is the first time an early childhood education and care programme has been implemented specifically for a target group from birth and evaluated in an experimental field study. Funding for the initiative (4 years, 2011–2014 / CHF 2.7 million): Zurich Department of Education (AJB), Lottery Fund of the Canton of Zurich, Federal Office for Migration, Jacobs Foundation, Mercator Switzerland Foundation, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Teacher University of Special Education (HfH). Research funding (15 years, 2011–2028 / CHF 6.5 million): Swiss National Science Foundation; Jacobs Foundation; Paul Schiller Foundation; Teacher University of Special Education (HfH). Under the patronage of the Swiss National Commission for UNESCO.