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The Role of Information and Cash Transfers on Early Childhood Development: Evidence from Nepal

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  • Michael Levere
  • Gayatri Acharya
  • Prashant Bharadwaj

Abstract

While substantial progress has been made in combating malnutrition at a global level, chronic maternal and child malnutrition remains a serious problem in many parts of the developing world. In this paper, using a randomized control trial design in Nepal, we evaluate a program that provided information on best practices regarding child care and cash to families in extremely poor areas with pregnant mothers and/or children below the age of 2. We find significant and sizable impacts of the information plus cash intervention on maternal knowledge, behavior, child development, and nutrition. The size of these impacts along some measures of knowledge and development are significantly different from the information only intervention group suggesting a potential role for providing a short term cash safety net along with information to tackle the problem of malnutrition.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Levere & Gayatri Acharya & Prashant Bharadwaj, 2016. "The Role of Information and Cash Transfers on Early Childhood Development: Evidence from Nepal," NBER Working Papers 22640, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:22640
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anderson, Michael L, 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley, Working Paper Series qt15n8j26f, Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Berkeley.
    2. Harold Alderman & John Hoddinott & Bill Kinsey, 2006. "Long term consequences of early childhood malnutrition," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 58(3), pages 450-474, July.
    3. Karen Macours & Norbert Schady & Renos Vakis, 2012. "Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(2), pages 247-273, April.
    4. Orazio P. Attanasio & Veruska Oppedisano & Marcos Vera-Hernández, 2015. "Should Cash Transfers Be Conditional? Conditionality, Preventive Care, and Health Outcomes," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(2), pages 35-52, April.
    5. Maluccio, John A. & Flores, Rafael, 2005. "Impact evaluation of a conditional cash transfer program: the Nicaraguan Red de Protección Social," Research reports 141, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Ariel Fiszbein & Norbert Schady & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Margaret Grosh & Niall Keleher & Pedro Olinto & Emmanuel Skoufias, 2009. "Conditional Cash Transfers : Reducing Present and Future Poverty," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2597, December.
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    8. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
    9. repec:idb:brikps:publication-detail,7101.html?id=32886 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Karen Macours & Norbert Schady & Renos Vakis, 2012. "Cash Transfers, Behavioral Changes, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 4(2), pages 247-273, April.
    11. Douglas Almond & Janet Currie, 2011. "Killing Me Softly: The Fetal Origins Hypothesis," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(3), pages 153-172, Summer.
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    Cited by:

    1. Barrera,Oscar & Macours,Karen & Premand,Patrick & Vakis,Renos, 2020. "Texting Parents about Early Child Development : Behavioral Changes and Unintended Social Effects," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9492, The World Bank.
    2. Molina Millán, Teresa & Macours, Karen & Maluccio, John A. & Tejerina, Luis, 2020. "Experimental long-term effects of early-childhood and school-age exposure to a conditional cash transfer program," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    3. Lenel, Friederike & Priebe, Jan & Satriawan, Elan & Syamsulhakim, Ekki, 2022. "Can mHealth campaigns improve CCT outcomes? Experimental evidence from sms-nudges in Indonesia," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    4. Molina-Millan, Teresa & Macours, Karen & Maluccio, John A. & Tejerina, Luis, 2019. "The Long-Term Impacts of Honduras’ CCT Program: Higher Education and International Migration," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 9600, Inter-American Development Bank.
    5. Premand, Patrick & Barry, Oumar, 2022. "Behavioral change promotion, cash transfers and early childhood development: Experimental evidence from a government program in a low-income setting," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    6. Sudha Narayanan & Shree Saha, 2020. "Take home rations (THR) and cash transfers for maternal and child nutrition: A Synthesis of evidence in India," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2020-039, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    7. Buck,Lindsey & Fiala,Nathan V. & Prakash,Nishith & Sabarwal,Shwetlena & Saraswat,Deepak & Shrestha,Deepika, 2020. "Educator Knowledge of Early Childhood Development : Evidence from Eastern Nepal," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9381, The World Bank.
    8. McWay, Ryan & Prabhakar, Pallavi & Ellis, Ayo, 2022. "The Impact of Early Childhood Development Interventions on Children’s Health in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," Discussion Paper Series in Economics 14/2022, Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Economics.

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    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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