Legal policy of the midwives’ competency training on the early stimulation, detection, and intervention children’s development

The first five years of life are a critical period for a child's development. In Indonesia, midwives are the spearhead of implementing early stimulation, detection, and intervention in child development. This paper aims to analyze the correlation between midwives’ competency training and the implementation of early stimulation, detection, and intervention for 48-to-60-month-old children’s growth, as well as the increase in midwives’ competencies (knowledge, attitude, and skills). It also aims to analyze the obstacles that midwives face in carrying out early stimulation, detection, and intervention in child development. This study utilized a mixed-method design with a sequential explanatory approach, involving 65 midwives (33 midwives in the treatment group and 32 midwives in the control group). There is a positive correlation between training and the increase in midwives’ competencies in early stimulation, detection, and intervention in child development. Obstacles that midwives face include a lack of facilities and infrastructure, insufficient supervision, and a lack of parental involvement. It was also found that this training was not successful in improving midwives’ attitudes. There is a weak correlation between training and the increase in midwives' attitudes toward early stimulation, detection, and intervention in child development. The increase in the implementation of early stimulation, detection, and intervention in child development can be achieved by organizing training, creating intersectoral cooperation, increasing supervision, and enhancing facilities and infrastructure.