The delivery team
A ‘Balsakhi’ community volunteer delivered the intervention. Balsakhi is a local Marathi word, and it means ‘child’s friend.’ Balsakhi were women from the village, preferably married, with some education (able to read and write in the local language), and willing to volunteer for 2–3 h daily. We selected one Balsakhi for each study village by conducting interviews and administering written examinations to evaluate basic skills and trained them.The initial training spanned 3 days, certifying participants for conducting home visits, group sessions, and community workshops. During the Project’s initial phase, the Project Research Associates accompanied each Balsakhi to provide initial support. The Balsakhi received refresher training on a one-to-one basis whenever required. The Balsakhi were mentored and supported by Anganwadi workers from the same village to deliver the responsive parenting intervention in the respective villages. Competencies of Balsakhis are assessed through regular supervision, observations of their interactions with children and parents, and periodic evaluations to gauge their knowledge and performance in providing childcare and early education services. Each Balsakhi received a monthly honorarium for their services.