Plain English Summary
Background and study aims:
This study assess how well the community-based Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) Project works, that began in Indonesia in 2006. The aim of the project is to improve poor childrens overall development and readiness for further education.
The aim of the study is to determine whether children living in Project villages have the following, compared with children who do not live in Project villages:
1. Have greater access to Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) services
2. Have a higher participation rate in ECED services
3. Have a higher enrolment rate in school at earlier ages
4. Are more school ready
5. Have higher community awareness about the importance of ECED
6. Have higher persistent breastfeeding rates, improved nutrition, improved early childhood stimulation
Who can participate?
Households with children aged one to four years old and living in a village that has been selected for the study.
What does the study involve?
The study assesses how well the ECED Project works. It involves 100 villages that received grants as part of the ECED Project, 20 villages that were to receive the grants nine months later and 100 that were to receive the grants 18 months after the first set were issued. The study also involves 90 villages that would never receive block grants as part of the Project (these villages form the control group).
The data collection includes child observations and task based assessments as well as a questionnaires for the village head, households, and child caregiver.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participation in the study may raise the awareness of caregivers and others in the community about the importance of ECED and provide some ideas on how to improve the development of their children. There are no risks associated with participating in this study
Where is the study run from?
The study is based across nine districts of Indonesia. The study is run by a collaboration of researchers based at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Australia, the World Bank in Indonesia, VU University in the Netherlands, and the University of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
Preparation for this study began in 2006. Data was collected in 2009, and then again in 2010. Final data collection is planned for early 2013.
Who is funding the study?
The World Bank, the Government of Indonesia, the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and AusAID - Australian Development Research Award.
Who is the main contact?
Sally Brinkman
sallyb@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Trial website
http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P089479/early-childhood-education-development-project?lang=en
Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Ms Sally Brinkman
ORCID ID
Contact details
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Level 8
31 Flinders Street
Adelaide
5000
Australia
sallyb@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Evaluation of a community based early childhood education and development program in Indonesia: A pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial with supplementary matched control group.
Acronym
Study hypothesis
That, relative to the non-intervention group, participants in the experimental group of the study will:
1. Have greater access to Early Childhood Education and Development (ECED) services
2. Have a higher participation rate in ECED services
3. Have a higher enrolment rate in school at earlier ages
4. Be more "school ready"
5. Have higher community awareness about the importance of ECED
6. Have higher persistent breastfeeding rates, improved nutrition, improved early childhood stimulation.
Ethics approval
Not provided at time of registration
Study design
Pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial with a supplementary matched control group
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Other
Trial type
Quality of life
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Early Childhood Education and Development
Intervention
The study is an impact evaluation of the Indonesian Early Childhood Education and Development Project. This project, implemented from 2006 to 2012, is financed through a credit from International Development Assistance by the World Bank and a grant from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (a total of US$127.7 million). Block grants of approximately US$9000 were provided to 60 villages each with the greatest need for ECED services (selected by the highest number of children aged 0-6, proven interest in receiving the project, and high poverty rates). While oversight and coordination happened at the district and village levels, services were to be delivered most intensively in two dusuns (a dusun is a small community or sub-village within the broader village). Block grants could be used by villages to expand or enhance existing ECED services, to plan ways to increase the participation of poor children and families in ECED services, and/or to provide services which would comply with essential standards. In addition to receiving the block grants, each dusun put forward one teacher and one community development worker to receive district-level training in early child development, nutrition, and community driven development.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
The primary objectives of this study are to establish the impact of the ECED Project on early childhood development outcomes, including:
1. The Early Development Instrument - a measure of school readiness across 5 domains of development
2. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - a behavioral checklist covering social and emotional problems and assets
3. The Dimensional Change Card Sort Task - a measure of executive function
4. Performance on a range of child tasks covering gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, and language skills.
5. Health and nutrition indicators, including food consumption, breastfeeding rates, height and weight measurements.
(All measured at baseline, midline and endline)
Secondary outcome measures
No secondary outcome measures
Overall trial start date
01/12/2006
Overall trial end date
31/12/2013
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
1. Households with children aged one and/or four years old and living in a study village
2. Individual respondents were the childs primary caregiver, the head of the childs household, the village midwife, the village head, and a representative of the posyandy (integrated child health services clinic).
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Other
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
20 households in 300 villages across 10 districts of Indonesia (total number of participating households = 6369)
Participant exclusion criteria
Does not meet inclusion criteria
Recruitment start date
01/12/2006
Recruitment end date
31/12/2013
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Indonesia
Trial participating centre
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Adelaide
5000
Australia
Sponsor information
Organisation
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research (Australia)
Sponsor details
100 Roberts Road
Subiaco
6008
Australia
+61 (0)8 9489 7777
info@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Sponsor type
Not defined
Website
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
The World Bank (USA)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Government of Indonesia (Indonesia)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Netherlands)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Funder name
AusAID (Australia) ref: ADRA0800261
Alternative name(s)
AusAID
Funding Body Type
government organisation
Funding Body Subtype
Federal/National Government
Location
Australia
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
2013 protocol in: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23953975
Publication citations
-
Protocol
Pradhan M, Brinkman SA, Beatty A, Maika A, Satriawan E, de Ree J, Hasan A, Evaluating a community-based early childhood education and development program in Indonesia: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial with supplementary matched control group., Trials, 2013, 14, 259, doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-259.