Baseline Study for ‘Parent Coaching for the first 1000 days

The Aga Khan Foundation India, in partnership with the Bernard van Leer Foundation, is implementing a pilot programme on ‘Parent coaching for the first 1000 days’ which combines parent coaching and improved service delivery for childcare, health and nutrition for both the mother and the child. The design of the programme is aligned with the mission of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), emphasizing responsive care and focusing interventions on the first 1000 days. The initial pilot phase of 2 years will be implemented in 10 blocks/urban wards of Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

In lieu of the same, AKF is conducting a baseline survey which will capture the existing knowledge, attitudes and practices on child-rearing among caregivers, especially their understanding of age-appropriate activities, responsive care and attitude towards play. The survey will also assess the existing capacities of government functionaries and frontline workers, with respect to their understanding of ECD, their ability to communicate messages to communities, and support provided to caregivers. The baseline survey will provide inputs towards the development of programme and communication strategies.

Keeping in mind the broad evaluation of the project, DevInsights will follow an embedded MLE framework wherein a mixed quasi-experimental research design will be adopted for the study. Hence, quantitative data would be collected for both treatment and a control group bringing the total tally to 1200 eligible women. 20% of the sample would be dyad interviews. These findings will be supported via qualitative data collected through FGDs of eligible parents and KIIs of frontline health workers and relevant health authorities at block and district levels. The data thus collected would be used to infer actionable insights for the development of concerned programme and communication strategies.