Rural Community Health Workers’ Early Language Education Videos: A Pilot Study

Rural families face barriers to early intervention (EI) due to provider shortages and geographic isolation. This study examined an asynchronous, bilingual professional development course designed to equip Community Health Workers (CHWs) with strategies for supporting early speech and language development. Six CHWs from a rural-serving nonprofit completed the course and implemented the course content with families. Two virtual focus groups explored course utilization, and transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) positive reception of the content, (b) personal and professional impact, (c) variable family engagement and motivation, and (d) cultural and linguistic relevance of Spanish-language content. Digital, evidence-based training can strengthen CHW capacity to support early language development, offering a scalable, culturally responsive model for improving EI services in underserved rural communities.