Theoretical, Developmental & Cultural Orientations of School-Based Prevention Programs for Preschoolers Marisha L. Humphries, 1,3 and Kate E. Keenan 2 Schools are the primary environment in which to conduct prevention programs for school-age children. Educators, policy makers, and psychologist argue that prevention efforts should begin as early as possible to maximize their effectiveness. Surprisingly, there are relatively few school-based prevention programs targeted for preschoolers. Given the evidence supporting earlier rather than later prevention efforts and the fact that many children in the United States attend preschool programs, more research on the feasibility and effectiveness of prevention programs administered in preschool environments is warranted. In this article, we review the existing literature on school-based prevention programs targeted for preschool children. We examine whether school-based prevention programs are theory driven, developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and aimed specifically at symptom reduction or behavior promotion. Based on the findings of this review, our aim is to identify gaps in the prevention research literature regarding programs for preschoolers and propose research to address such gaps to create more effective school-based prevention programs for young children. KEY WORDS: cultural sensitivity; developmental appropriateness; preschool; school-based prevention; theoretically based. SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOLERS Schools have become the context for delivering prevention programs for school-aged children tar- geting a variety of emotional and behavioral prob- lems. One reason schools have become the context of choice for prevention programs is that schools pro- vide easy access to a large population of children compared to other community agencies and pro- grams (Atkins et al., 2003). Furthermore, children who have difficulties with their emotional, behavioral or social functioning have a more difficult time being successful in school (Rones and Hoagwood, 2000). In comparison to the elementary grades; however, the preschool level is not often targeted as an environ- ment for these school-based programs. This is sur- prising given the tenet that prevention efforts should begin as early as possible to minimize problematic behaviors and maximize effective competence across various domains (e.g., Burns et al. 1999; Reid et al., 1999; Walker et al., 1998; Webster-Stratton and Reid, 2004). One reason why school-based programs may not routinely be offered to preschool-age children is due to the fact that compulsory education does not begin until ages six or seven, kindergarten or 1st grade, depending on the state. However, with the rising enrollment of children in preschool services (Magnuson et al., 2004), preschool education pro- grams seem to be an ideal context for delivering such program. Between 1991 and 1999 preschool-age children’s enrollment in center-based child care rose to 59.3%, while non-parental home based childcare rose to 23.3% (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). 1 Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1040 W. Harrison (M/C147), Chicago, IL 60607, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Mary- land Ave. MC3077, Chicago, IL 60637, USA 3 To whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: mhumphri @uic.edu Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, Vol. 9, No. 2, June 2006 (Ó 2006) DOI: 10.1007/s10567-006-0005-1 135 1096-4037/06/0600-0135/0 Ó 2006 Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, Inc.