ECD Evidence for Scale

Using ECD impact evaluation data from six Save the Children ECD programs for children ages 4-6 years in Afghanistan (1), Bangladesh (1), Ethiopia (2), and Rwanda (2), this presentation considers the enabling environment, duration, dosage, and delivery considerations for testing multiple-arm interventions as we work towards scale with quality. It concludes that duration considerations need to take up both implementation time as well as the longitudinal nature of the impact with its implications for broader education system efficiency. For dosage and participation, optimal exposure is not yet well understood, and quality of dosage may be paramount, requiring the testing of a variety of delivery mechanisms realistic for each enabling environment because there is no set delivery system such as primary schools. The collective evidence to date suggests that for children ages 4-6 years, the greatest impact for children accrues to quality ECD centers in combination with quality parenting approaches – and that in the absence of realistic ECD center coverage, quality parenting can have similar if not equal impact.