During the COVID-19 pandemic, inaugural 100&Change awardee International Rescue Committee adapted an in-person home-visiting parenting program to phone and audio-only content to support refugee parents and caregivers in Jordan. The adaptation of the Ahlan Simsim initiative, in partnership with Sesame Workshop, created a unique opportunity for Global TIES for Children to conduct the first randomized-control trial of an audio-only caregiver program delivered to communities that live in remote areas. The treatment group received additional early childhood development content with accessible and age-appropriate recommendations. Although there were no statistically significant impacts on child learning or change in parenting behaviors, caregivers who engaged with additional content had an improved rapport with the caller providing the intervention. The study found caregivers who participated in the program were also less likely to show signs of depression and parenting stress.
