Country-Level Improvements in Nurturing Care and Child Development, 2010-2019

Using data from UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), we examined changes in nurturing care provision and child development outcomes over time in 31 low- and middle-income countries between 2010 and 2019. The sample included 220 759 children aged 3–4 years. Nurturing care was measured as the sum of 10 indicators spanning early learning, caregiving, safety, health, nutrition, and household conditions, and child development was assessed using the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI). Country-level means were calculated using survey weights, with missing child-level data addressed through multiple imputation. We documented country-level changes in nurturing care and child development between survey waves and assessed whether changes in child development were associated with concurrent changes in nurturing care, adjusting for changes in the Human Development Index and time between surveys. Across a mean interval of 6.06 years, 21 of 31 countries showed improvements in nurturing care, with average provision increasing from 5.53 to 5.74 of 10 indicators, and annual changes ranging from −0.06 to 0.19 indicators per year.