Springboard for School Readiness Project Impact Evaluation 2014: Baseline Survey (Bulgaria)

Abstract

This impact evaluation was designed to assess effectiveness of the Springboard for School Readiness Project, which aims to promote preschool attendance among segregated comminutes in Bulgaria, especially Roma communities.

This study is a randomized controlled trial seeking to assess the effectiveness of an early childhood development services, combining outreach with conditional and unconditional cash transfer for parents wishing to send their children to preschool. The primary objective of this impact evaluation is to provide policy relevant information on how to most cost-effectively address preschool participation, promote quality early learning, and promote full inclusion in the broad sense for poor Roma children in Bulgaria. Since early learning and socialization provide a critical foundation for all children, the long-term follow-up envisioned under this project will also inform the policy debate on promoting cost-effective strategies for learning at the primary level and beyond.

The evaluation and intervention were designed by the World Bank in partnership with the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) under the America for Bulgaria Foundation.

The project is focused on children 3 to 5 years old and their parents. The baseline survey was implemented in April - June 2014; the endline survey is planned for the spring of 2015. The baseline survey documented here covered 5,712 households in 236 segregated communities in Bulgaria.