Adaptation and Implementation of “Care for Child Development" (CCD) Intervention in the Health System in Iran: A Protocol Study

The knowledge of caregivers about the ways of parenting which promote development and learning of children is often limited. The Care for Child Development (CCD) program has been proposed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to promote caregivers’ skills in playing and communicating with their children and consequently promote child development. Providing a comprehensive program to promote the development of children and psychological support for parents of children at risk of developmental delays under three is essential. To adapt and implement " Care for Child Development" (CCD) intervention in the health system and orphanages of Iran. In this open-label randomized controlled trial, a targeted sampling method will be used in selecting the group of experts for adapting the CCD intervention. Four provinces will be selected for implementation of the present phase of study. Among obstetrics/gynecology hospitals, health centers, Child Development Centers (CDCs), and Orphanages, two health centers, two obstetrics/gynecology hospitals and two Orphanages (if exist) will be selected in each province (one center for intervention and one for control), 4 health care providers and 4 midwives from each province and 4 orphanage caregivers (48 persons in total) will receive CCD training. Using the Morgan table, 1000 children under three years old from these centers will be selected randomly and will be divided into two groups of experimental (500 people) and control (500 people). In each center, the selected care-providers and/or midwives will be trained, and they are responsible for conducting the CCD program and pre- and post-evaluation.