Providing Services for Children With Developmental Difficulties, Delay or Disability - Early Diagnosis and...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Public Health
• Community Health

Background:

• Early childhood development (ECD) services are crucial but often inaccessible in resource-limited settings.
• The World Health Organization's (WHO) Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) provides a comprehensive approach to ECD.
• Non-governmental organizations play a vital role in implementing ECD interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of the Early Childhood Champions (ECC) and Child Development Aide (CDA) programs.
• To evaluate the preliminary reach, effectiveness, and acceptability of these WHO NCF-aligned programs.
• To address the need for training in responsive caregiving and early learning.

Main Methods:

• The ECC program trains community health workers (CHWs) to deliver universal and targeted NCF components.
• The CDA program trains CHWs to provide disability services in underserved areas.
• Programs integrate ECD services into existing CHW workforces.

Main Results:

• 145 CHWs trained through the ECC program have reached 7,073 children.
• 7.4% of children reached (835) were identified with developmental delays.
• Preliminary evidence suggests programs are acceptable and effective.

Conclusions:

• The ECC and CDA programs offer a scalable model for delivering WHO NCF components through CHWs.
• These programs demonstrate feasibility and positive initial outcomes in improving early childhood development services.
• Integrating ECD services into existing community health structures is a viable strategy.