National Evaluation of Quality of Childcare (C0682)

Whole Child International (WCI) is a U.S.-based non-governmental organization. Its focus is on improving the caregiving environments for vulnerable children by effecting changes within child care centers and orphanages.

This evaluation will assess the impact of an educational training and technical assistance program offered by WCI in collaboration with the El Salvadoran government. The program consists of a series of educational trainings (for local government officials, directors of childcare and residential centers, and center caregivers) and technical assistance including infrastructural changes within centers.

To evaluate this intervention, a longitudinal, randomized controlled trial will be used to assign participating centers to one of seven treatment arms that will receive different components of the intervention. A community comparison cohort will also be enrolled to identify selection effects as well as local norms and standards. The central research question is, "Does providing training for institution providers and caregivers improve child outcomes?"

Ethnographic research will also explore local cultural norms regarding child caregiving, and seek to understand how the intervention is received within communities.

Inclusion criteria

• Children between the ages of 6 months-4 years old at baseline, who are currently attending government-run childcare centers in El Salvador, will be eligible for enrollment in this study. One parent/guardian and center caregiver for an enrolled child will also complete assessments.
• In the comparison group, for every 5th center-attending child enrolled, the nearest neighboring child between the ages of 6 months and 4 years at enrollment, and who does not attend the center, will be eligible for enrollment. One parent/guardian of the comparison child will also complete assessments.

Exclusion criteria

• Children with known disabilities, who are unlikely to show developmental changes over time, may be excluded from the study.