Adaptation of a developmental milestone resource for caregivers from low-income communities in South Africa

Abstract

Caregiver access to relevant developmental milestone resources is critical in ECD. In this iterative design study, six members of an expert panel (n=6; female; 5 White, 1 Black) reviewed and adapted the CDC developmental milestone checklist for South African caregivers of children two months to three years 11 months, living in low-income communities. Participants found most of the developmental milestones to be applicable but requiring contextual adaptation to be relevant for use by caregivers in low-income communities. Four themes were identified from the adaptations made: language use, access to test items, context, and developmental literacy. International developmental milestone tools require adaptation and contextualization to address the unique challenges and circumstances that children in low- income communities face.