The treatment effect of parenting intervention on early development and nutrition outcomes of left-behind children

• In Event: Empowering China's Youngest Rural Children: Uniting Intervention Research and Policy Advocacy for Lasting Impacts

Abstract

Objectives and theoretical framework
This study aims to address a critical gap in understanding the effectiveness of intervention programs for young left-behind children (LBC) in rural China, a population significantly impacted by parent-child separation due to labor migration. The research objectives are to explore the treatment effect and mechanisms of parenting interventions for LBC, hypothesizing positive impacts on early development, nutritional status, and home environment outcomes. Additionally, the study examines how these effects are moderated by various child, parent/caregiver, household, and parental migration-related characteristics.

The theoretical framework is grounded in developmental psychology and early childhood studies, recognizing parent-child separation as a major adversity in early childhood with potential short-term and long-term effects on learning, behavior, and overall well-being. The study posits that exposure to inadequate parenting practices and less stimulating home environments undermines children's physical, psychological, and cognitive development. This perspective aligns with the growing body of evidence on the importance of early childhood experiences and parental involvement in child development.

Methods
The study employs a cluster randomized control trial of a parenting intervention program designed to promote early childhood development for children under three years old. The research utilizes a comprehensive set of assessment tools, including the Denver II test for child development outcomes, WHO growth charts for nutritional status indicators (HAZ, WAZ, WHZ), and HOME or IT-HOME scales for evaluating childrearing behavior and home environment. Data collection involved repeated household-level and child-related questionnaire surveys at baseline and endline of the intervention.

The data sources comprise a rich set of information on children's developmental outcomes, nutritional status, and home environments, along with detailed sociodemographic characteristics of children and caregivers. The key variable of LBC status was generated based on parents' migration status, allowing for nuanced analysis of different LBC categories: Father-LBC, Mother-LBC, and Both-LBC.

Results
Results reveal significant positive impacts of the parenting intervention on LBC's development outcomes overall, but with notable variations among different LBC types. Father-LBC showed stronger intervention effects compared to Mother-LBC or Both-LBC in developmental outcomes. In terms of nutritional status, LBC demonstrated significant improvements in WAZ scores. The study also found that Both-LBC under 35 months showed significant improvements in HOME scores, highlighting the importance of early intervention timing. Interestingly, the treatment effect was stronger for children of parents with lower educational attainment, suggesting a potential compensatory effect of the intervention for educational disadvantages.

Significance
The study provides evidence for understanding the treatment effect for young LBC. Overall, parenting intervention has a positive treatment effect for LBC’s early development, nutritional status, and home environment outcomes. Different types of LBC benefit to varying degrees from the intervention. There is a potential substituting effect of the intervention for parental education, which provides evidence for policy makers to consider further exploring interventions that could address the needs of disadvantaged families with young LBC.

Authors

• Yi Qie, China Development Research Foundation

• Luyi Yan, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

• Mai Lu, China Development Research Foundation

• Bing Shen, Nanjing Forestry University