The overwhelming consensus was that the series should target caregivers. Most groups concluded that it was not possible to appeal effectively to both caregivers and children at the same time, within the same program.

One benefit of creating a series just for caregivers is that it is possible to include information about a wider range of children's developmental levels than if the series is designed to appeal to adults and children simultaneously.

The time the program is aired is important. If the program appeals mainly to caregivers, it should not be aired at times that do not interfere with their caring for children. Include multiple runs; repetition is positive.

The message that caregivers need to take care of themselves before they can take care of children was generally agreed upon. The analogy of an adult putting on an oxygen mask first (in case of an in-flight emergency) before placing the mask on a child clearly resonated with participants.

There also was general agreement on and validation of the KCEd Program Goals for Caregivers, which are as follows:

• Underscore and validate the importance of their role in children's development and learning
  
• Provide basic information about child development
  
• Enhance caregivers understanding of the importance of addressing children's emotional needs (e.g., children who feel loved, learn best). Enhance their ability to respond to children's cues.
  
• Model good childcare methods and activities
  
• Feature specific ways to support language/literacy and numeracy development (examples: listening to children, asking open-ended questions, singing songs, playing with words, labeling things)
  
• Provide guidance in helping children develop pro-social skills
  
• Help caregivers learn how to nurture curiosity, creativity, and imagination
  
• Present information about ways to identify children with disabilities
  
• Learn how to use everyday routines (diapering/getting dressed, laundry, meal preparation, car travel) as opportunities for informal teaching

There were also several suggestions presented for ways in which to achieve these goals - including a thorough use of modeling behavior, a core content limited to 10-12 messages across the series, and the emphasis that caregivers belong to the larger community of childhood education professionals.

One problem is that caregivers generally suffer from a lack of understanding of typical behavior associated with developmental milestones and often maintain myths of good caregiving behavior as well as the skills needed for good caregiving. In order to increase the effectiveness of the program, these two items will need to be addressed throughout the show. The primary message should be to help caregivers focus on what they already do well and extend what they already know.

Research will inform program developers about the what, when, and why caregivers watch television. It also will help determine the time and format for the show(s). Recommendations and ideas about program features follow. However, there were also several recommendations for basic series features:

• Deal with the personal issues that caregivers face (employment, safety, immigration).
  
• Music must be a critical element of the series.
  
• Incorporate a strong narrative/story line in which caregivers should be able to see themselves.
  
• Each program should include lots of real life examples.
  
• Use repetition, short segments, foreshadowing, since caregivers are unlikely to watch consistently.
  
• Outreach and follow-up is unanimously considered an integral part of the series to maximize both audience reach and impact.

One of the surprising results from the sessions was the diversity of formats discussed in the groups. Participants cautioned KCEd not to shy away from popular culture formats that have worked successfully for commercial television in attracting audiences. They encouraged consideration of a wide range of options -- subject to appropriate modification to achieve the desired educational goals -- from telenovelas to Oprah-style talk shows to reality shows.

Incorporate both diversity and multiple perspectives in cultural values as well as common ground. Look for commonalities among cultures. Focus on the universality of messages and values. Show different settings and people from different cultural groups, but stress similarities in values, even as different approaches and contexts are portrayed. KCEd should help to make caregivers’ lives easier.

• Build Spanish into production. Look at a sophisticated use of the second audio channel. Promote multilingualism.
  
• Music - songs, lullabies, cuentos – is one avenue through which this can be accomplished.
  
• Images are more important in reflecting multiculturalism than language is.
  
• Use a strength-based approach.
  
• Series using dual languages may be an option if the episodes are repeated numerous times during the course of a week.
  
• Consider the diversity of immigration histories.
  
• Capitalize on the power of television to advocate for issues related to diversity.
  
• Continually recognize caregivers on the air and work celebrations of best practice into the program.
  
• Plan for continued focus group feedback.
  
• Extend the Ready-To-Learn network.
  

KCEd requires major outreach and promotional efforts. Beyond traditional media methods, participants focused on the idea of using existing organizations such as schools, houses of worship, community centers and hospitals to reach caregivers. There was also a lot of support for providing some sort of recognition to audience members, either in the form of certificates or program segments that feature the “Caregiver of the Week.”

All the participants emphasized the importance of thorough formative and summative research in the development of the series. One successful example cited was the “Sesame Street” model, in which a team of researchers and evaluators worked from the inception of the project to help shape the series. They argued that it would be cheaper to build in on-going research from the early stages, than to add it later.

Costs were acknowledged to be high, particularly for longitudinal studies, but some suggestions were to use smaller sample sizes (N=50) for summative evaluation and to cap spending at 10% of overall budget. Another suggestion was to work collaboratively with universities and request research proposals. The importance of research that measures audience feedback would help not only to improve the show continually, but also to encourage additional funding and attract other stations to carry the program.

The working groups generally presented 5 categories of major challenges facing the development of the series:

• Reaching and holding the audience
  
• Representing language and culture appropriately and effectively
  
• Getting the word out to home-based providers
  
• Delivering content without putting audience on defensive
  
• Measuring outcomes