Malawi : Can Steps to Improve Child Centers Help Boost Child Development?
Children in disadvantaged families living in poor areas face numerous challenges, from lack of access to quality health care to insufficient nutrition and stimulation. By the time these children are supposed to start primary school, they often are...
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/983391513758962882/Malawi-Can-steps-to-improve-child-centers-help-boost-child-development http://hdl.handle.net/10986/29068 |
| Summary: | Children in disadvantaged families
living in poor areas face numerous challenges, from lack of
access to quality health care to insufficient nutrition and
stimulation. By the time these children are supposed to
start primary school, they often are already behind in terms
of cognitive, social-emotional, and language skills.
Development organizations and governments are looking at
preschool programs as a route for improving the skills and
school readiness of children aged three to five in
low-income countries. In Malawi, researchers supported by
the strategic impact evaluation fund (SIEF) worked with the
government to study the impact of a pilot program to improve
the quality of the country’s community-based childcare
centers, which serve children aged three to five years old
in rural areas. The impact evaluation measured the
effectiveness of different approaches for improving quality
above and beyond providing centers with play and learning
kits, including offering additional teacher training, paying
teachers a small stipend, and holding classes for parents on
child development. Researchers are now working with
policymakers in Malawi to see how the lessons learned can be
incorporated into planning for future early childhood
development programs. |
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