Technology-Assisted Caregiver Program: A Model Feasibility and Pilot Study in High-Risk, Low-Income Context

We propose a pilot to study the feasibility of a scalable intervention and research program addressing child development and school readiness in India for children that should be attending preschool centers. If shown to be feasible we will plan a randomized evaluation to study the effectiveness of our program, which aims to promote parental and preschool teacher's awareness and engagement with children by reinforcing appropriate behaviors. The intervention will be delivered online through smartphones and basic mobiles providing remote learning to children and remote training and coaching for the teachers and parents. The focus for the parents and teachers is behavioral change and the activities for the children are designed to promote their development. It is designed to be scalable and to offer a model that is effective in the longer run post-pandemic era. Scalability is assured by leveraging local resources and not being reliant on new expenditures, but only on changes in behavior.