INTEGRATED CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

(ICDS)

DR. KANUPRIYA CHATURVEDI

PROGRAM OUTLINE

Started by the Government of India in 1975, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has been instrumental in improving the health and wellbeing of mothers and children under 6 by providing health and nutrition education, health services, supplementary food, and pre-school education. The ICDS national development program is one of the largest in the world. It reaches more than 34 million children aged 0-6 years and 7 million pregnant and lactating mothers.

Lesson Objectives

• To know the extent of malnutrition• To know about the goals. objectives target

groups, service components and coverage of ICDS program

• To know about the impact of the Program

SOURCE: NFHS-3 2005-6

Under nutrition in Children under Age 3

5145 43 40

20 23

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Stunted Underweight WastedNFHS-2 NFHS-3

SOURCE; NFHS -3 2005-6

Anemia among Children Age 6-35 Months

7479

4 5

0102030405060708090

Any anaemia Severe anaemiaNFHS-2 NFHS-3

SOURCE NFHS-3, 2005-6

Recommended and Actual Breastfeeding Practices

• Goal: Initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth– Achievement: 25%

• Goal: No prelacteal feeding– Achievement: 43%

• Goal: Exclusive breastfeeding • (6 months)

– Achievement: 46%

Every fifth young child in the world lives in India

Every second young child in India is malnourished

Three out of four young children in India are anaemicEvery second newborn in India is at risk of reduced learning capacity due to iodine deficiencyMalnutrition limits development potential and active learning capacity of the child

ICDS OBJECTIVES• To improve the nutritional status of preschool

children 0-6 years of age group.• To lay the foundation of proper psychological

development of the child• To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity

malnutrition and school drop out• To achieve effective coordination of policy and

implementation in various departments to promote child development

• To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

THE TARGET GROUPS

• Pregnant women

• Nursing Mothers

• Children less than 3 years

• Children between 3-6 years

• Adolescent girls( 11-18 years)

• Health check-ups, TT, supplementary nutrition, health education.

• Health check-us supplementary nutrition, health education

• supplementary nutrition, health check-ups, immunization, referral services

• supplementary nutrition, health check-ups, immunization, referral services, non formal education

• supplementary nutrition, health education

BENEFICIARY SERVICES

COMPONENTS

• Health Check-ups. • Immunization. • Growth Promotion and Supplementary

Feeding. • Referral Services. • Early Childhood Care and Pre-school

Education. • Nutrition and Health Education.

Supplementary nutrition

• Each child upto 6 years of age to get 300 calories and 8-10 grams of protein

• Each adolescent girl to get 500 calories and 20-25grams of protein

• Each pregnant women and lactating mother to get 500 calories and 20-25 gms of protein

• Each malnourished child to get 600 calories and 16-20 grams of protein

Immunization

• Immunization of pregnant women and infants protects children from six vaccine preventable diseases-poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, tuberculosis and measles.

• These are major preventable causes of child mortality, disability, morbidity and related malnutrition. Immunization of pregnant women against tetanus also reduces maternal and neonatal mortality

Referral Services

• During health check-ups and growth monitoring, sick or malnourished children, in need of prompt medical attention, are referred to the Primary Health Centre or its sub-centre.

• The anganwadi worker has also been oriented to detect disabilities in young children. She enlists all such cases in a special register and refers them to the medical officer of the Primary Health Centre/ Sub-centre

Non-formal Pre-School Education (PSE)

• Non-formal Pre-school Education (PSE) component of the ICDS may well be considered the backbone of the ICDS program.

• These AWCs have been set up in every village in the country.. As a result, total number of AWC would go up to almost 1.4 million.

• This is also the most joyful play-way daily activity, visibly sustained for three hours a day. It brings and keeps young children at the anganwadi centre.

Contd.• Its program for the three-to six years old children in the

anganwadi is directed towards providing and ensuring a natural, joyful and stimulating environment, with emphasis on necessary inputs for optimal growth and development.

• The early learning component of the ICDS is a significant input for providing a sound foundation for cumulative lifelong learning and development.

• It also contributes to the universalization of primary education, by providing to the child the necessary preparation for primary schooling and offering substitute care to younger siblings, thus freeing the older ones – especially girls – to attend school.

Health check-ups

• Record of weight and height of children at periodical intervals

• Watch over milestones• Immunization• General check up for detection of disease• Treatment of diseases like diarrhea, ARI• Deworming• Prophylaxis against vitamin A deficiency

and anemia• Referral of serious cases

Adolescent girls scheme( Kishori shakti yojna)

• General health check ups• Immunization• Treatment of minor ailments• Deworming• Prophylactic measures against anemia,

IDD, vitamin deficiency• Referral

Anganwadi Centre

• Anganwadi is the Focal Point for Delivery of ICDS Services.

• Located in a Village/Slum.• Anganwadi is run by an AWW, supported by

a Helper.• AWW is the 1st Point of Contact for

Families Experiencing • Nutrition and Health Problems.

Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) in India

Sanctioned Functioning Gap

No. of Blocks 5652 4545 19.6%

No. of AWW 608,066 546,434 11.2%

Children (0 - 6 years) : 35.39 million

Expectant and Nursing mothers : 6.38 million

Anganwadi worker (AWW)

• Monitor growth of children • Provide non formal pre-school education• Provide supplementary nutrition• Give health and nutrition education• Referral for sick children• Elicit community participation• Provide health service in collaboration with

ANM/ASHA• Implement adolescent girls’ scheme

Training InfrastructureThere is a countrywide infrastructure for thetraining of ICDS functionaries, viz.

– Anganwadi Workers Training Centres (AWTCs) for the training of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers.

– Middle Level Training Centres (MLTCs) for the training of Supervisors and Trainers of AWTCs;

– National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) and its Regional Centres for training of CDPOs/ACDPOs and Trainers of MLTCs. NIPCCD also conducts several skill development training programmes

PROGRAM MONITORING • CENTRAL LEVEL

– (i) Supplementary Nutrition : No. of Beneficiaries (Children 6 months to 6 years and pregnant & lactating mothers) for supplementary nutrition;

– (ii) Pre-School Education : No. of Beneficiaries (Children 3-6 years) attending pre-school education;

– (iii) Immunization, Health Check-up and Referral services : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is responsible for monitoring on health indicators relating to immunization, health check-up and referrals services under the Scheme.

Monitoring at state level• State level: Various quantitative inputs captured

through CDPO’s MPR/ HPR are compiled at the State level for all Projects in the State.

• No technical staff has been sanctioned for the state for programme monitoring.

• CDPO’s MPR capture information on number of beneficiaries for supplementary nutrition, pre-school education,

• field visit to AWCs by ICDS functionaries like Supervisors, CDPO/ ACDPO etc.,

• information on number of meeting on nutrition and health education (NHED) and vacancy position of ICDS functionaries

Monitoring at Block level• At block level,

– Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) is the in-charge of an ICDS Project. CDPO’s MPR and HPR have been prescribed at block level.

– a supervisor,under the CDPO is required to supervise 25 AWC on an average.

– CDPO is required to send the Monthly Progress Report (MPR) by 7th day of the following month to State Government. Similarly, CDPO is required to send Half-yearly Progress Report (HPR) to State by 7th April and 7th October every year.  

Monitoring at village level

– At the grass-root level, delivery of various services to target groups is given at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC).

– The Monthly and Half-yearly Progress Reports of Anganwadi Worker have also been prescribed. AWW is required to send these Monthly Progress Report (MPR) by 5th day of following month to CDPO’ In-charge of an ICDS Project.

– Similarly, AWW is required to send Half-yearly Progress Report (HPR) to CDPO by 5th April and 5th October every year

Nutrition and Health Education

Nutrition and Health Education– This service is not monitored at the Central

Level. State Governments are required to monitor up to State level in the existing MIS System.

– No. of ICDS Projects and Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) w.r.t. targeted no. of ICDS Projects and AWCs are taken into account for review purpose

Rapid facility Survey • More than 40 per cent AWCs (Anganwadi Centres)

across the country are neither housed in ICDS building nor in rented buildings. One-third of the Anganwadis are housed in ICDS building and another one-fourth are housed in rented buildings;

• As regards the status of Anganwadi building, more than 46 per cent of the Anganwadis were running from pucca building, 21 per cent from semi-pucca building, 15 per cent from kutcha building and more than 9% running from open space;

• It is quite encouraging to observe that average number of children registered at the Anganwadi centre is 52 for boys and 75 for girls;

Contd.• The survey data reveal that more than 45 per cent

Anganwadis have no toilet facility and 40 per cent have reported the availability of only urinal;

• Of the 39 per cent Anganwadis reporting availability of hand pumps, half of the hand pumps were provided by the Gram Panchayat and 12 per cent provided by the ICDS;

• More than 90 per cent Centers provided supplementary food, 90 per cent provided pre-school education and 76 per cent weighed children for growth monitoring;

• Only 50 per cent Anganwadis reported providing referral services, 65 per cent health check-up of children, 53 per cent for health check-up of women and more than 75 for nutrition and health education;

Contd.• Average number of days in a month in which

services are provided at the Anganwadi centers are 24 for supplementary food, 28 for pre-school education and 13 for Nutrition and health education;

• More than 57 per cent of Anganwadi centers reported availability of ready-to-eat food and 46 per cent availability of uncooked food at the Anganwadi centers;

• Nearly three-fourth of the Anganwadis have reported the availability of medical kits and baby weighing scale. On the other hand adult weighing scale has been reported only by 49 per cent of the Anganwadis

Three Decades of ICDS – An appraisal by NIPCCD (2006)

• i) Around 59 per cent AWCs studied have no toilet facility and in 17 AWCs this facility was found to be unsatisfactory.

ii) Around 75% of AWCs have pucca buildings;

• iii) 44 per cent AWCs covered under the study were found to be lacking PSE kits;

• iv) Disruption of supplementary nutrition was noticed on an average of 46.31 days at Anganwadi level. Major reasons causing disruption was reported as delay in supply of items of supplementary nutrition;

Contd.

• v) 36.5 per cent mothers did not report weighing of new born children;

• vi) 29 per cent children were born with a low weight which was below normal (less than 2500 gm);

• vii) 37 per cent AWWs reported non-availability of materials/aids for Nutrition and Health Education (NHED).

ICDS and MDG