Primeira Infância Melhor em tempos de pandemia: avaliação do (re)desenho

The Programa Primeira Infância Melhor is a public policy that aims to promote integral early childhood development through home visits and community activities that strengthen family care skills. The emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic made its implementation unfeasible, causing a redesign process. This article analyzes the changes promoted in the design of the program to adjust it to contextual constraints. We conducted a case study, participant observation, documental research, and content analysis. We found that the policy objectives were not changed, but the implementation instruments were. Regulatory, organizational, financial, and informational instruments were activated, which institutionalized new practices and processes, modifying the forms of interaction with families. Such changes involved adding new elements to the design without removing existing ones. It is argued that the program gains resilience, as its repertoire of elements allows it to act in predicted and adverse contexts.