Bridging the gap: Evaluating Parental Empowerment Initiatives in Kenya.

Engagement of parents in their children’s education is a key driver of children’s academic success, particularly in foundational learning. However, parents face challenges that limit their engagement. This paper reports on a study that investigated the efficacy of an intervention program to empower early childhood development education teachers and parents in Embu County in Kenya with competencies in enhancing parental engagement in their children’s learning. Guided by the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model, the study examines how the project aligns with parents’ needs, the effectiveness of training resources and approaches, implementation challenges, and program outcomes. Using a mixed-methods CIPP-based research design, data was collected using an observation checklist and analyzed using thematic analysis and Difference-in-Difference (DiD) analysis. Results indicated strong alignment between program objectives and parents’ needs. The input evaluation showed that training methods, languages, and resources were effective. Process evaluation highlighted implementation challenges, including transportation constraints, attendance issues, and resource limitations. Adjustments in the fifth and sixth modules of the intervention program improved the project’s effectiveness. Product evaluation showed a significant effect on strengthening enablers of parental engagement, with a 12.3% average change (DID=12.3%, 95% CI [2.0, 22.46]) between groups. Additionally, parental awareness of the curriculum improved by 37.5% (DID=37.5%, 95% CI [20.8, 54.1]), and parents’ ability to engage increased by 21.6% (DID=21.6%, 95% CI [5.9, 37.2]) despite socio-economic challenges. Beyond supporting learning at home, parents’ initiated school improvement projects, including classroom repairs, floor renovations, purchasing storage for children’s books, setting up a feeding program, and installing a swing, demonstrating a deeper commitment to the learning environment. Findings highlight the need to integrate parental engagement strategies into teacher training. Equipping teachers with skills to collaborate with parents through clear communication and structured engagement can strengthen home-school partnerships and improve foundational learning.