Table 1 The phases and methods used in the study

Phase 1: understanding perceptions and demand

Households with a child under-5

Questionnaire

To assess demand for centre-based child-care and current child-care practices

200 households

222 households

Community leaders

Qualitative Semi-Structured Interviews (SSIs)

To understand perceptions of centre-based child-care

5 SSIs

5

Mothers, fathers and guardians

Qualitative SSIs

To understand perceptions of and demand for centre-based child-care

8 SSIs with those wanting to,

8 SSIs with those unwilling to use child-care centres

With those wanting to use child-care centres:

9 SSIs with mothers, 3 SSIs with fathers

2 SSIs with grandmothers

With those unwilling to use child-care centres:

2 SSIs with fathers. Unable to recruit mothers, guardians unwilling to use centre-based care.

Policy-makers and ECD experts

Qualitative SSIs

To understand the context of ECD and centre-based care in Bangladesh

5 SSIs

5

Phase 2: understanding implementation and feasibility

Mothers, fathers and guardians

Co-design focus groups (FGs)

To gain feedback on the planned model and inform the detailed specification

2 FGs: 1 with slum and 1 with non-slum parents/ guardians.

1 co-design FG of 8 mothers from slum households, willing to use a child-care. Unable to recruit FG of non-slum households.

Users, non-users and centre staff

Qualitative SSIs

Centre users’ meetings

Monthly enrolment data

To understand experiences of using the child-care centre and to adapt the model to meet the needs of low-income families

Users, non-users and staff of the centre

3 users’ meetings

10-months of enrolment data

SSIs: 2 staff, 5 mothers still using centre, 3 mothers no-longer using the centre, 3 non-users who despite initial interest did not take up a place.

Households survey participants

Follow-up questionnaire 6 months after phase 1

To identify the proportion of respondents traceable at 6 months

222 households

159 households traced