Do early parenting groups in Kenya keep helping children as they grow?

Can Successful Early Childhood Interventions Sustain Impacts into Middle Childhood? A test from Kenya

['FUNDING_R21'] · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · NIH-11193783

This project looks at whether an eight-month, group-based parenting program in Kenya helps children continue to do better as they reach middle childhood.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R21']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (nih funded)
Locations1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11193783 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

As a caregiver in these Kenyan communities, this project follows children who took part in an earlier eight-month group parenting program delivered by community health workers. Researchers will contact families and measure children's development, behavior, and school progress now that they are in middle childhood. They will also ask about parents' social support and peer networks to see if those helped sustain any benefits. This follow-up focuses on families living in the same communities where the original program was run.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Caregivers of children who participated in the original early-childhood group parenting program in the Kenyan communities, or families with similar-aged children in those communities, are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Children who did not take part in the original program, families living outside the study communities, or older teenagers are unlikely to be helped directly by this follow-up.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that low-cost community parenting groups produce lasting improvements in children's development and school readiness.

How similar studies have performed: Two small, intensive home-visit programs in Jamaica produced lasting benefits, but group-based meeting models like this have limited long-term evidence so far.

Where this research is happening

Los Angeles, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.