Currently in El Salvador, there are approximately 7,000 children being cared for in Child Development Centers and Residential Care Centers. These centers are unique in that children spend a significant amount of their time in them (12-6 hours per day, 5-6 days per week). There are two types of Child Development Centers in El Salvador: Centros de Desarrollo Integral (CDIs) serve children ages 6 months- 6 years and tend to be urban or semi urban; and Centros de Bienestar Infantil CBIs) serve children ages 2-7 years old, tend to be more in rural areas, and provide more community-based care.
Whole Child International (WCI) is a U.S.-based non-governmental organization focused on improving the caregiving environments for vulnerable children by effecting changes within child care centers and orphanages. This project is an intervention of educational trainings (for local government officials, directors, and caregivers) and technical assistance within centers.
The project will examine whether the following changes make an impact on outcomes:
Principal Investigator: Kathryn Whetten, Jan Ostermann, Eve Puffer
CHPIR Staff: Hy V. Huynh, Amy Hobbie, Leonard Ng’eno, Andrew Weinhold, Melissa McGovern, Tomas Matza