Building Evidence for Preschool Policy Change in Bulgaria

In September 2020, Bulgaria's National Assembly (Parliament) passed legal amendments aimed at increasing kindergarten participation for children aged 4–6 in Bulgaria, with poor children standing to benefit the most. For the first time, state budget funds were set aside to relieve parents of the costs of monthly attendance fees currently collected by full-day kindergartens. It builds on evidence generated from a large-scale randomized control trial (RCT) (2014–2018) across 236 poor communities, implemented by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) together with the World Bank and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. This paper describes how the RCT was used by TSA to advocate for removal of fees, and how much more evidence besides the RCT needed to be generated and support needed to be mobilized to influence policy action

Building Evidence for Preschool Policy Change in Bulgaria

In September 2020, Bulgaria's National Assembly (Parliament) passed legal amendments aimed at increasing kindergarten participation for children aged 4–6 in Bulgaria, with poor children standing to benefit the most. For the first time, state budget funds were set aside to relieve parents of the costs of monthly attendance fees currently collected by full-day kindergartens. It builds on evidence generated from a large-scale randomized control trial (RCT) (2014–2018) across 236 poor communities, implemented by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) together with the World Bank and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. This paper describes how the RCT was used by TSA to advocate for removal of fees, and how much more evidence besides the RCT needed to be generated and support needed to be mobilized to influence policy action

Building Evidence for Preschool Policy Change in Bulgaria

In September 2020, Bulgaria's National Assembly (Parliament) passed legal amendments aimed at increasing kindergarten participation for children aged 4–6 in Bulgaria, with poor children standing to benefit the most. For the first time, state budget funds were set aside to relieve parents of the costs of monthly attendance fees currently collected by full-day kindergartens. It builds on evidence generated from a large-scale randomized control trial (RCT) (2014–2018) across 236 poor communities, implemented by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) together with the World Bank and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. This paper describes how the RCT was used by TSA to advocate for removal of fees, and how much more evidence besides the RCT needed to be generated and support needed to be mobilized to influence policy action

Building Evidence for Preschool Policy Change in Bulgaria

In September 2020, Bulgaria's National Assembly (Parliament) passed legal amendments aimed at increasing kindergarten participation for children aged 4–6 in Bulgaria, with poor children standing to benefit the most. For the first time, state budget funds were set aside to relieve parents of the costs of monthly attendance fees currently collected by full-day kindergartens. It builds on evidence generated from a large-scale randomized control trial (RCT) (2014–2018) across 236 poor communities, implemented by the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) together with the World Bank and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. This paper describes how the RCT was used by TSA to advocate for removal of fees, and how much more evidence besides the RCT needed to be generated and support needed to be mobilized to influence policy action

Heritability of hoarding symptoms across adolescence and young adulthood: A longitudinal twin study.

Twin studies of hoarding symptoms indicate low to moderate heritability during adolescence and considerably higher heritability in older samples, suggesting dynamic developmental etiological effects. The aim of the current study was to estimate the relative contribution of additive genetic and environmental effects to hoarding symptoms during adolescence and young adulthood and to estimate the sources of stability and change of hoarding symptoms during adolescence.Univariate model-fitting was conducted in three cohorts of twins aged 15 (n = 7,905), 18 (n = 2,495) and 20-28 (n = 6,218). Longitudinal analyses were conducted in a subsample of twins for which data on hoarding symptoms was available at both age 15 and 18 (n = 1,701).Heritability estimates for hoarding symptoms at ages 15, 18 and 20-28 were 41% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 36-45%), 31% (95% CI: 22-39%) and 29% (95% CI: 24-34%) respectively. Quantitative sex-differences emerged in twins aged 15 at which point the heritability in boys was 33% (95% CI: 22-41%) and 17% (95% CI: 0-36%) in girls. Shared environmental effects played a negligible role across all samples with the exception of girls aged 15 where they accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (22%; 95% CI 6-36%). The longitudinal bivariate analyses revealed a significant phenotypic correlation of hoarding symptoms between ages 15 and 18 (0.40; 95% CI: 0.36-0.44) and a strong but imperfect genetic correlation (0.75; 95% CI: 0.57-0.94). The bivariate heritability was estimated to 65% (95% CI: 50-79%).Hoarding symptoms are heritable from adolescence throughout young adulthood, although heritability appears to slightly decrease over time. Shared environmental effects contribute to hoarding symptoms only in girls at age 15. The stability of hoarding symptoms between ages 15 and 18 is largely explained by genetic factors, while non-shared environmental factors primarily have a time-specific effect. The findings indicate that dynamic developmental etiological effects may be operating across the life span

Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and factor loadings for the Hoarding Rating Scale-Self Report in 3 cohorts of Swedish twins aged 15, 18 and 20–28 years.

<p>Internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and factor loadings for the Hoarding Rating Scale-Self Report in 3 cohorts of Swedish twins aged 15, 18 and 20–28 years.</p

Explained variance by additive genetic and environmental factors to hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years according to best fitting model.

<p>Explained variance by additive genetic and environmental factors to hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years according to best fitting model.</p

Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years.

<p>Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years.</p

Phenotypic correlation, cross-twin cross-time correlations, genetic, shared and non-shared environmental correlations, and parameter estimates for hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15 and 18 years.

<p>Phenotypic correlation, cross-twin cross-time correlations, genetic, shared and non-shared environmental correlations, and parameter estimates for hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15 and 18 years.</p

Model-fitting results for hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years.

<p>Model-fitting results for hoarding symptoms in Swedish twins at age 15, 18 and 20–28 years.</p