Effects of Two Early Childhood Interventions on the Developmental Outcomes of Children in Post- Earthquake Nepal

Abstract

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. Received May 2, 2019; revised February 14, 2021, and April 17, 2021; accepted May 5, 2021; electronically published June 2021. Journal on Education in Emergencies, Vol. 7, No. 1 Copyright © 2021 by the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE). ISSN 2518-6833