Project Overview
A child’s future starts taking shape in their earliest years, but in rural China, developmental delays can set them back for life, affecting everything from school performance to adult income and health. One key reason? Most caregivers in rural China have never learned that everyday moments with their child—reading a book, singing songs, playing games—are what help children develop thinking, language, and social skills. Over the past decade, research conducted by the Rural Education Action Program (REAP) has shown that when caregivers attend training sessions on how to play and engage with their young children, the home parenting environment improves, and children begin to reach their full potential.
Unfortunately, not all caregivers see the benefits of these training sessions. Research shows parenting training is less effective—or sometimes fails completely—when caregivers struggle with depression, anxiety, or stress. And these mental health challenges are widespread among mothers and grandmothers in rural China. This harsh reality exposes the key flaw in traditional approaches: they teach skills but overlook the mental health barriers that make consistency difficult.
To tackle both challenges at once, REAP’s Parenting the Future project is China’s first large-scale, multi-arm study that combines parenting training with mental health support. The program pairs weekly parenting sessions (teaching play, communication, and responsive care) with biweekly mental health group activities. The mental health sessions use a version of the World Health Organization's Thinking Healthy curriculum that was adapted by our team to fit rural Chinese contexts.
What makes this initiative even better? It’s part of China’s nationwide push to extend access to early childhood programs. Part of our program trains local community agents to deliver both parenting coaching and mental health support. With full government cooperation, we're demonstrating how rural communities can effectively support children's development while caring for caregivers' wellbeing.
