ERIC Number: EJ1304562
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jun
Pages: 40
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2518-6833
EISSN: N/A
Effects of Two Early Childhood Interventions on the Developmental Outcomes of Children in Post-Earthquake Nepal
Seiden, Jonathan; Kunz, Valeria; Dang, Sara; Sharma, Matrika; Gyawali, Sagar
Journal on Education in Emergencies, v7 n1 p14-53 Jun 2021
Natural disasters create immense challenges for young children by exposing them to a high degree of adversity. Interventions designed to build resilience in the aftermath of a natural disaster may help buffer the negative consequences of these adverse experiences. In this article, we report the results of our quasi-experimental evaluations of two interventions designed by Save the Children to improve children's developmental outcomes and parental engagement during a critical period. These interventions provided resources across eco-developmental levels to young survivors of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal's Sindhupalchok district by targeting children's families, teachers, and communities. The first was a caregiver-focused intervention aimed at improving parents' and caregivers' ability to provide early stimulation and responsive, positive caregiving for children ages 0-3; the other was a facilitator-focused intervention at an early childhood development (ECD) center that aimed to improve the quality of learning environments, family engagement, and psychosocial supports for children ages 3-6. We found that the interventions had a mixed impact. The age 0-3 components had no detectable effect on developmental outcomes, whereas the age 3-6 components had a positive impact on children's early learning and development, particularly their pre-academic skills. Neither intervention improved parental engagement. We highlight the challenges of implementing family-focused interventions in emergency contexts and the importance of the delivery agents in ECD programs. Despite the null effects for the 0-3 group, these evaluations demonstrate that bolstering the quality of early learning environments and the skills of ECD facilitators can have a meaningful impact on child-level outcomes, even in postdisaster and emergency settings.
Descriptors: Natural Disasters, Resilience (Psychology), Child Development, Infants, Toddlers, Intervention, Comparative Analysis, International Organizations, Parent Participation, Caregiver Child Relationship, Parent Child Relationship, Educational Quality, Educational Improvement, Family Involvement, Foreign Countries, Program Evaluation, Program Effectiveness, Mothers, Home Visits, Health, Family Programs, Preschool Education
Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies. 122 East 42nd Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10168. e-mail: journal@inee.org; Web site: https://inee.org/evidence/journal
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Nepal
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A