biostudies-literatureNampijja MBritish Academye042544https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7938982biostudies-literatureUnknown11(3)<h4>Introduction</h4>Investing in children during the critical period between birth and age 5 years can have long-lasting benefits throughout their life. Children in Kenya's urban informal settlements, face significant challenges to healthy development, particularly when their families need to earn a daily wage and cannot care for them during the day. In response, informal and poor quality child-care centres with untrained caregivers have proliferated. We aim to co-design and test the feasibility of a supportive assessment and skills-building for child-care centre providers.<h4>Methods and analysis</h4>A sequential mixed-methods approach will be used. We will map and profile child-care centres in two informal settlements in Nairobi, and complete a brief quality assessment of 50 child-care centres. We will test the feasibility of a supportive assessment skills-building system on 40 child-care centres, beginning with assessing centre-caregivers' knowledge and skills in these centres. This will inform the subsequent co-design process and provide baseline data. Following a policy review, we will use experience-based co-design to develop the supportive assessment process. This will include qualitative interviews with policymakers (n=15), focus groups with parents (n=4 focus group discussions (FGDs)), child-care providers (n=4 FGDs) and joint workshops. To assess feasibility and acceptability, we will observe, record and cost implementation for 6 months. The knowledge/skills questionnaire will be repeated at the end of implementation and results will inform the purposive selection of 10 child-care providers and parents for qualitative interviews. Descriptive statistics and thematic framework approach will respectively be used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data and identify drivers of feasibility.<h4>Ethics and dissemination</h4>The study has been approved by Amref Health Africa's Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (Ref: P7802020 on 20^th April 2020) and the University of York (Ref: HSRGC 20^th March 2020). Findings will be published and continual engagement with decision-makers will embed findings into child-care policy and practice.BMJ openImproving the quality of child-care centres through supportive assessment and 'communities of practice' in informal settlements in Nairobi: protocol of a feasibility study.PMC7938982ECE190115Kimani-Murage EWOkelo KElsey HNampijja MWekulo PKfalseImproving the quality of child-care centres through supportive assessment and 'communities of practice' in informal settlements in Nairobi: protocol of a feasibility study.<h4>Introduction</h4>Investing in children during the critical period between birth and age 5 years can have long-lasting benefits throughout their life. Children in Kenya's urban informal settlements, face significant challenges to healthy development, particularly when their families need to earn a daily wage and cannot care for them during the day. In response, informal and poor quality child-care centres with untrained caregivers have proliferated. We aim to co-design and test the feasibility of a supportive assessment and skills-building for child-care centre providers.<h4>Methods and analysis</h4>A sequential mixed-methods approach will be used. We will map and profile child-care centres in two informal settlements in Nairobi, and complete a brief quality assessment of 50 child-care centres. We will test the feasibility of a supportive assessment skills-building system on 40 child-care centres, beginning with assessing centre-caregivers' knowledge and skills in these centres. This will inform the subsequent co-design process and provide baseline data. Following a policy review, we will use experience-based co-design to develop the supportive assessment process. This will include qualitative interviews with policymakers (n=15), focus groups with parents (n=4 focus group discussions (FGDs)), child-care providers (n=4 FGDs) and joint workshops. To assess feasibility and acceptability, we will observe, record and cost implementation for 6 months. The knowledge/skills questionnaire will be repeated at the end of implementation and results will inform the purposive selection of 10 child-care providers and parents for qualitative interviews. Descriptive statistics and thematic framework approach will respectively be used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data and identify drivers of feasibility.<h4>Ethics and dissemination</h4>The study has been approved by Amref Health Africa's Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (Ref: P7802020 on 20^th April 2020) and the University of York (Ref: HSRGC 20^th March 2020). Findings will be published and continual engagement with decision-makers will embed findings into child-care policy and practice.2021-01-01T00:00:00Z2021 Mar2025-04-22T02:07:36.691Z2025-04-05T20:15:40.135ZS-EPMC79389823367437010.1136/bmjopen-2020-042544