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Locating the role of technology in family-oriented solutions for early years in fragile contexts

Mon, March 24, 8:00 to 9:15am, Virtual Rooms, Virtual Room #110

Group Submission Type: Refereed Roundtable Session

Proposal

Research indicates that only 25% of children aged 3 to 4 receive minimal nurturing care (Lancet, May 2022) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This highlights a widespread challenge families face in supporting their children’s development. The challenge is exacerbated in emergencies, which have become increasingly common and affect millions globally (UNESCO, 2022). In 2019, over 71 million children under 5 were living in conflict-affected regions (World Vision Canada, August 2023).

In situations of severe adversity, young children, aged 0 to 6, need a positive and responsive relationship with a parent (Kabay and Smith, n.d.). Bronfenbrenner’s ‘Ecological Models of Human Development,’ also emphasizes the importance of adult support in a child’s life.

With this context, family-first, or dual-generational approaches (as referred to in the abstract) are relevant programming approaches, especially for vulnerable children in fragile environments. However, many existing programs focus solely on either one group or the other. Current discussions are also mainly focused on the US context (Ascend Aspen Institute, 2021). Forced displacement presents a unique opportunity, recognizing that forcibly displaced children are among the world’s most underserved, and under-researched populations.

As a growing community of 132 non-state actors, GSF has been running an online community of practice (CoP) of 30+ practitioners who are already implementing or are keen to implement dual-generational programming in fragile contexts. Using this as an anchor, GSF proposes to organise a roundtable discussion at CIES to explore insights, lessons, and evidence on dual-generation programming for early years in fragile settings, with a particular lens on how digital solutions can aid program delivery and management in complex settings.

Our discussion will highlight where human-centered approaches are essential for early childhood interventions to enable children to achieve developmental milestones and families to build resilience in fragile settings. We will also argue where digital tools and technology can enhance the impact of these programs in fragile contexts with a focus on specific areas like Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL), streamlining administrative processes, and facilitating financing. We will also understand where technology may have limitations due to factors like lack of internet access, poor technological literacy etc. thereby limiting impact.

The roundtable will have 4 organisations working on dual-generational initiatives aimed at children (0-6 years) and families in protracted displacement contexts of East Africa and South America, given the significant influx of refugees in these regions. The chair will be Dr Joan Lombardi, PhD director for Early Opportunities, a senior fellow at the Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues at Georgetown University and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford Center on Early Childhood. Dr Lombardi has also recently co-authored a seminal paper called, “A Global Call for Two‐Generation Approaches to Child Development and Caregivers' Livelihoods”.

The key themes of discussion with each panellist are below:

Children in Crossfire (CiC): CiC works with the world's most vulnerable children suffering from poverty-related injustices. CiC has recently launched a school-based dual-generational intervention for early years, in Ethiopia's Oromia region - an area facing rising insecurity. The discussion with CiC will revolve around understanding their rationale for choosing dual-generational programming, their approach to program development, and emerging learnings from its implementation. We will keep a specific focus on how they made choices around the use of technology with other strategies given the demographic of young children in fragile contexts, and what insights they have gathered from these decisions.

Busara: Busara is a Kenya-based research and advisory firm that advances and applies behavioral science in the global south. Busara has been working closely with GSF and CiC to define its theory of change, develop the MEL framework, and set up systems to accurately collect data on indicators of dual-generational outcomes. They are also summarizing these insights into a toolkit that other organizations working in dual-generational programming can leverage to develop their MEL systems. The discussion with Busara will focus on the toolkit and the findings from the work with CiC and how technology can be leveraged in setting up MEL systems. We will also explore the contextual challenges they faced in design, how they mitigated them, and the ongoing feasibility issues they continue to face.

aeioTU: aeioTU is a social enterprise providing affordable, high-quality early childhood education in Colombia and Mexico for children aged 0-5 in low-income and migrant communities. In the panel, we will discuss aeioTU’s mobile pedagogical centers as a promising dual-generational programming model to support migrant families. We will also discuss its e-learning platform, “aeioTU Network”, which is a network of ECD caregivers including parents, teachers, and center owners. The platform offers free educational content and resources to community members and uses a social approach to support members improve their daily practice with children. In this context, we will discuss aeioTU's perspective on the role of technology and digital systems in sharing practical knowledge within early childhood actors, as well as the key challenges they encounter in implementing this solution.

Tiny Totos (TTK): Tiny Totos Kenya (TTK) improves informal daycare services in Kenya by transforming them into profitable ventures through a replicable business model. TTK partners with existing daycares, providing access to knowledge, technology, capital, and a business network. In the panel, we will explore TTK's family-centered approach to childcare and discuss its feasibility and impact in fragile contexts. The discussion will also highlight TTK's innovative use of a phone-based app to increase operational efficiency in daycare centers, including insights from a pilot they are currently running with CiC and BRAC in Tanzania. We will also discuss TTK’s efforts to offer credit to caregivers for purchasing smartphones, boosting digital literacy, and addressing the gender digital divide, and emerging learnings from the intervention.

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