Mary Hearst, Ph.D. in Epidemiology, Program Director for Master of Public Health & Associate Professor was awarded $15,000 by the GHR Innovative Scholarships to conduct a formative assessment to prepare a grant submission to optimize child development in Indonesia. Early childhood development is not a luxury but is critical to improving longer term child outcomes. Optimizing healthy development among children ages 0-5 is key for individual, family and community health and development. Key factors for optimal child development and life-long well-being include adequate nutrition and an environment that supports optimal development. Inadequate nutrition impedes physical growth, and early malnutrition can effect brain function, cognitive ability and behavior. The goal of the project is to improve ‘nutrition’ and ‘nurture’ among children ages 0-5 and their mothers in Indonesia. This long term project offers the opportunity to expand a well-designed and effective nutrition-oriented intervention in a LMIC and test the additive or multiplicative impact of the Care for Children Development Model