Early Stimulation Intervention to Nurture Parents and Children: Adapting Reach Up and Learn to Indonesian Context

Indonesia has made notable progress in reducing stunting, supported by a $3.9 billion annual investment in nutrition interventions. To further close early childhood developmental gaps, this project adapts and pilots Reach Up and Learn (RL), a proven early stimulation program, for children aged 0–3 at risk due to poverty and malnutrition. The intervention includes a culturally tailored co-parenting module to engage fathers in early child development. We aim to: (i) identify scalable delivery mechanisms, (ii) adapt RL for local relevance, (iii) develop a paternal engagement curriculum, and (iv) test the program via a 6-month pilot randomized controlled trial in 30 villages. Delivered by community-based BKB cadres, the intervention leverages existing infrastructure for cost-effective scalability. Preliminary testing uses a mixed-methods evaluation to inform curriculum refinement, delivery logistics, and a future large-scale impact study. The partnership with BKKBN aligns with national policy goals and supports long-term integration and sustainability.