About Integrated Early Childhood Development
Early childhood – the period between conception and three years of age – is a crucially important period of life. Young children’s health and nutrition, the care they receive, and the way they are parented, affect not just their childhood wellbeing, but their lifelong physical and mental health and development.
Why CRS
Integration

CRS is a global leader in early childhood development, in 2020 reaching 1.8 million children and their families. Our approach integrates ECD into on-going maternal, child health, and nutrition interventions within existing national and sub-national systems. By collaborating with other service providers, we can share resources – facilities, transportation, and distribution systems – and thereby increase the efficiency of our work. By strengthening the capacity of government ministries and national service providers to implement ECD, we ensure that these programs will be around for a long time to come.
View/Download CRS' Guiding Framework for ECD
Research
Our ECD work is evidence-based and evidence-generating. Our research partnerships with leading universities allow us to test and learn from our innovations. Thanks to experimental and quasi-experimental studies, we have recently shown that:
-
Our lay counselor model is ethical, effective, and of high quality
-
Participating in our ECD programs is associated with lower rates of post-partum depression
-
Our integrated programs are effective at changing health and parenting behaviors, resulting in healthier children
STORIES
- TANZANIA FATHERS RAISE BABIES, ERODE PARENTING TABOO
- EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT: DEDICATED IN MALAWI
- PLAY IS CRITICAL TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
- TEEN PREGNANCY AND FAMILY PARENTING IN KENYA
- LESOTHO'S PATHWAY OUT OF POVERTY STARTS EARLY
- RAISING THE SCORE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
- CHILDREN UNDER 5 THRIVE IN EAST AFRICA
- TRASH TO TREASURED: CREATING TOYS TO GROW HEALTHY KIDS
- SUPPORTING MOTHERS IN WESTERN KENYA
Love, play, care and laughter are ingredients that make up a well-rounded childhood. Hear how Catholic Relief Services is helping families on the margins—of violence, hunger and disease—raise healthy and happy children.
Click here to view the podcast transcript and other episodes in CRS’ podcast series.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

CRS partners with institutions of higher education to conduct iECD-related research. Collaborations with Duke University and Emory University have published the following articles in peer-reviewed journals.
-
“The Impact of a Maternal Mental Health Intervention on Intimate Partner Violence in Northern Ghana and the Mediating Roles of Social Support and Couple Communication: Secondary Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial” BMC Public Health 21 (2021)
-
“Effect of a lay counselor-delivered integrated maternal mental health and early childhood development group-based intervention in Northern Ghana: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.” Cambridge University Online (2021)
-
“The Effects of Antenatal Depression and Women’s Perception of Having Poor Health on Maternal Health Service Utilization in Northern Ghana.” Maternal and Child Health Journal 25 (2021)
-
"Effect of a lay counselor delivered integrated maternal mental health and early childhood development group-based intervention in Siaya County, Kenya.” Journal of Affective Disorders 292 (2021)
-
“Depression Among Pregnant Women Enrolled in a Maternal and Newborn Health Program in Rural Northern Ghana.” Global Social Welfare 7 (2021)
-
“Prevalence and correlates of maternal early stimulation behaviors during pregnancy in northern Ghana: a cross-sectional survey.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 21 (2021)
-
“Practices and Perspectives on Latrine Use, Child Feces Disposal, and Clean Play Environments in Western Kenya.” American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 102 (2020)
-
“Designing integrated interventions to improve nutrition and WASH behaviors in Kenya.” Pilot Feasibility Study 6 (2020)
-
“Impact of a demand-side integrated WASH and nutrition community-based care group intervention on behavioral change: a randomized controlled trial in western Kenya.” BMJ Global Health 5 (2020)
-
“Experimental Evidence from an Integrated Early Childhood Parenting Program in Sierra Leone.” IZA Discussion Paper Series 14054 (2020)
Links to Resources

Early childhood – the period between conception and three years of age – is a crucially important period of life. Young children’s health and nutrition, the care they receive, and the way they are parented, affect not just their childhood wellbeing, but their lifelong physical and mental health and development.
-
Maternal and Child Health Innovations: A Toolkit Antenatal Care Research
-
mHealth as means to Reduce Maternal and Newborn Deaths: Steps to Success , a Learning Brief, a Midterm Evaluation Summary, a Journal Article, and a News Article
-
Male Engagement: An Operations Research Brief, Facilitator’s Guide for a 3-Day Training
-
Better Parenting Plus: Community Discussion Guide
-
Journey of Life Community Workshops: A Toolkit
-
Helping Partners Develop or Strengthen their Organizational Child Protection Policies: A Facilitator’s Guide
-
Tree of Life: A Workshop Methodology
-
Singing to the Lions: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Violence in our Lives
-
Strengthening Teacher Capacity: A Guide and Flipbook
-
Using Play for Growing Smart Children: A Manual for Creating Toys
-
Growing to Thrive: Integrated early childhood development, nutrition, health and baby hygiene and sanitation
CONTACT INFO
To learn more, contact [email protected].
Research & Publications
-
Tool Kits
Encouraging Positive Practices for Improving Child Survival (EPPICS)
Eight CRS Maternal and Child Health Innovations
Encouraging Positive Practices for Improving Child Survival (EPPICS) documentation serves as a valuable resource for health professionals, including local and international organizations, working in rural developing communities. The guide presents eight CRS’ innovations used by EPPICS that led to statistically significant increases in maternal and child More
-
Tool Kits
Early Childhood Development Curriculum
This six-part series of manuals is intended to strengthen the technical capacity of women religious and congregations in Kenya, Malawi, and Zambia that are involved in Early Childhood Development (ECD). It is tailored to the needs of ECD service providers, especially congregations, and includes case studies More
-
Guidelines
Better Parenting Plus
Community Discussion Guide
This Better Parenting Plus Community Discussion Guide is intended to facilitate guided discussions and learning by parents, caregivers and others, all of whom are members of SILC (Savings and Internal Lending Communities). The focus is on improving parenting knowledge, attitudes and skills. More
-
Tool Kits
"Journey of Life" community workshops to support caregivers and children in need
Check out our "Journey of Life" M&E tools. More