SMALL CHANGES - BIG IMPACT
Whole Child International’s programs in resource-limited childcare settings focus on low-cost interventions that are intentionally designed to be both sustainable over time and scalable to broader regions and care systems. These programs have been rigorously evaluated by an independent team from the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development. Their evaluation reports highlight significant improvements in children who participated in our programs, as measured by a range of standardized child development tools.
These findings confirm what is consistently observed across all the settings in which we work: our interventions lead to substantial advancements in children’s social-emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and even physical development—despite no changes in nutrition. In essence, the children we serve are equipped with the skills and tools to build healthier, more productive lives.
The following highlights from the research demonstrate the success of our work with both typically developing children and those with special needs:
Children’s Height
Over a span of 17 months, the height of typically developing children increased by an average of 46% (rising from the 8th to the 54th percentile), while the height of all children improved by an average of 24% (moving from the 4th to the 27th percentile).
Children’s Weight
Typically-developing children’s weight improved by an average of 34% (rising from the 8th to the 42nd percentile), and all children improved by 18% (rising from the 3rd to the 21st percentile).
Intellectual Development
Using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, the scores of children supported by our interventions increased by 30%. In just 17 months, the scores in physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social-emotional development rose by an average of 19%. This improvement shifted the children’s scores from levels typically associated with intellectual disabilities and severe developmental delays to within the normal range for their age.
Relationship Development
Over a span of seven years, the social-emotional relationships between caregivers and children improved by 150% in terms of interaction and attachment, as measured by the Caregiver-Child Social/Emotional and Relationship Rating Scale (CCSERRS). Remarkably, we achieved the same level of improvement in homes for children with special needs in just two years.
Behavioral Development
Negative behaviors in children such as aggression, withdrawal, and self stimulation were reduced by 43% in both developmentally supportive childcare settings, and in special-needs care centers.
