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Improving Access and Quality in Early Childhood Development Programs: Experimental Evidence from the Gambia

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  • Moussa P. Blimpo
  • Pedro Carneiro
  • Pamela Jervis
  • Todd Pugatch

Abstract

We evaluate two experiments of early childhood development (ECD) programs in the Gambia, one increasing access to services and another improving service quality. In the first experiment, new community-based ECD centers were introduced into randomly chosen villages that had no preexisting structured ECD services. In the second experiment, a randomly assigned subset of existing ECD centers received intensive provider training. We find no evidence that either intervention improved average levels of child development. Exploratory analysis suggests that the first experiment, which increased access to community-based ECD services, led to declines in child development among children from less disadvantaged households.

Suggested Citation

  • Moussa P. Blimpo & Pedro Carneiro & Pamela Jervis & Todd Pugatch, 2022. "Improving Access and Quality in Early Childhood Development Programs: Experimental Evidence from the Gambia," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(4), pages 1479-1529.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/714013
    DOI: 10.1086/714013
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    Cited by:

    1. Patricia Justino & Marinella Leone & Pierfrancesco Rolla & Monique Abimpaye & Caroline Dusabe & Marie D Uwamahoro & Richard Germond, 2023. "Improving Parenting Practices for Early Child Development: Experimental Evidence from Rwanda," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 21(4), pages 1510-1550.
    2. Holla,Alaka & Bendini,Maria Magdalena & Dinarte Diaz,Lelys Ileana & Trako,Iva, 2021. "Is Investment in Preprimary Education Too Low ? Lessons from (Quasi) ExperimentalEvidence across Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9723, The World Bank.
    3. Markhof, Yannick & Wollburg, Philip & Zezza, Alberto, 2025. "Beyond the records: Data quality and COVID-19 vaccination progress in low- and middle-income countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    4. Krafft,Caroline Gould & Raikes,Abbie & Nikaein Towfighian,Samira & Mojgani,Rebecca Sayre, 2023. "Quality and Inequality in Pre-Primary and Home Environment Inputs to Early ChildhoodDevelopment in Egypt," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10317, The World Bank.
    5. Jakiela, Pamela & Ozier, Owen & Fernald, Lia C.H. & Knauer, Heather A., 2024. "Preprimary education and early childhood development: Evidence from government schools in rural Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    6. David K. Evans & Amina Mendez Acosta, 2020. "Education in Africa: What Are We Learning?," Working Papers 542, Center for Global Development.
    7. Lazarus Obed Livingstone Banda & Chigonjetso Victoria Banda & Jane Thokozani Banda, 2025. "Challenges and realities of early childhood development centers in Malawi: A critical examination," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(2), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Berkes, Jan & Bouguen, Adrien & Filmer, Deon & Fukao, Tsuyoshi, 2024. "Improving preschool provision and encouraging-demand: Evidence from a large-scale construction program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    9. Krafft,Caroline Gould & Nikaein Towfighian,Samira & Raikes,Abbie & Mojgani,Rebecca Sayre, 2023. "What Can We Learn from Pre-Primary Quality Assurance Systems ? Evidence from theArab Republic of Egypt," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10482, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • O22 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - Project Analysis

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