Peer-reviewed article
Adapting Reach Up and Learn in Crisis and Conflict Settings: An Exploratory Multiple Case Study
Katelin Wilton, Katie Maeve Murphy, Ahsan Mahmud, Syful Azam, Anika Habib et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how the Reach Up intervention—a program to support early childhood development—was adapted and implemented in three crisis-affected settings: Bangladesh (for Rohingya and host communities), Syria (during acute conflict), and Venezuela (for indigenous populations). The adaptations included mobile phone messaging, games for social-emotional learning, and integration with health services. The findings show that tailoring interventions to local needs and combining them with in-person services improved outcomes, with gains noted particularly in language development and caregiver satisfaction.
Key points
- Over 71 million children under 5 years old have lived their entire lives in conflict-affected settings, facing violence, poverty, and displacement that harm development and well-being
- In Bangladesh, interactive voice response messages on mobile phones improved responsiveness to children's developmental needs when complemented by in-person services
- In Syria, rapid adaptations of Reach Up included social-emotional learning games for school-aged children to address acute crisis needs
- In Venezuela, Reach Up coupled with lactation counseling achieved high uptake and satisfaction rates, with notable gains in children's language development
- Cultural adaptation based on understanding community needs, integration of safety measures, and linkages with complementary services are key to supporting early childhood development in crisis settings
Limitations
As an exploratory multiple case study, the findings are descriptive rather than causal and cannot definitively establish whether observed improvements resulted from the intervention or other factors. The study does not provide quantitative outcome measures or comparison groups, limiting ability to assess impact magnitude or attribution.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: In 2019, >71 million children aged <5 had spent their entire lives in conflict-affected settings. Compounding adversities including violence, poverty, and displacement have immediate and long-term effects on early childhood development, health, behavior, and well-being. In response, adaptations of Reach Up have been implemented in conflict and crisis settings. METHODS: This article uses exploratory multiple case study methodology, drawing from implementation and qualitative data from 3 interventions: a mobile phone-based intervention promoting nurturing care among Rohingya and crisis-affected host communities in Bangladesh; Reach Up amid acute violence and displacement in Northeast Syria; and Reach Up group sessions and home visits integrated with health services for an indigenous population in Venezuela. RESULTS: In Bangladesh, tailoring interactive voice response messages improved responsiveness to the developmental needs of young children, yet complementary in-person services were identified as a key program enhancement. In Syria, rapid adaptations of Reach Up addressed the needs of families in acute crisis, including social-emotional learning games for school-aged children. In Venezuela, Reach Up, coupled with complementary lactation counseling, yielded high rates of uptake and satisfaction, and children's language development was highlighted as a key area of growth. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations to promote early childhood development in crisis and conflict settings include: (1) cultural adaptation based on a holistic understanding of children and caregivers' needs; (2) the integration of child and family safety and linkages with complementary services on the basis of community needs and priorities, and (3) the importance of designing for scale through blended models and costing analyses.