Afinidata

Despite rapid role-out of early childhood services in Latin America, many populations of children and their caregivers remain under-served. Digital technology may be one means for reaching families on a large-scale, providing them access to content and support related to their children's well-being. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of digital parenting programs remains understudied, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

The SEED Lab is currently working on two separate evaluations of Afini, an artificial intelligence-based "virtual tutor" that uses a phone-based chatbot to provide parents with customized activity recommendations to support their children's development. In collaboration with the World Bank and the Government of Ceará, the first study uses a multifactorial design to examine the impact of adding Afini to Brazil's national home visiting program for low-income famililes (Programa Criança Feliz), as well as to consider the specific design elements (e.g., customization approaches) that optimize its effectiveness. With support from Botnar Foundation, the second study examines the effects of Afini as a stand-alone intervention in high Andean Peru.

Check back soon for results of these studies!

For More Information

To learn more about Afinidata, visit their website.

To read the preregistration for the Brazil study, visit the AEA website.

Recent Publications

Jaggi, L., Aguilar, L., Alvarado Llatance, M., Castellanos, A., Fink, G., Hinckley, K., ... & Hartinger Pena, S. M. (2023). Digital tools to improve parenting behaviour in low-income settings: a mixed-methods feasibility study. Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Jäggi, L., Hartinger, S. M., Fink, G., McCoy, D. C., Llatance, M. A., Hinckley, K., ... & Mäusezahl, D. (2025). Parenting in the digital age: A scoping review of digital early childhood parenting interventions in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Public Health Reviews, 45, 1607651.