Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
ICDS, started on 2 October 1975, reaches young children, mothers and adolescent girls through the anganwadi, with six services from supplementary nutrition to referral.
Aim and objectives
ICDS is India's largest programme for early childhood care and nutrition. Its objectives are to: (1) improve the nutritional and health status of children 0-6 years; (2) lay the foundation for the child's proper psychological, physical and social development; (3) reduce mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out; (4) coordinate the work of the departments involved in child development; and (5) enable the mother to look after the normal health and nutrition needs of her child through nutrition and health education.
The six services
| Service | Beneficiaries | Delivered by |
|---|---|---|
| Supplementary nutrition | Children 6 months-6 years; pregnant and lactating women; adolescent girls under their scheme | Anganwadi worker and helper |
| Pre-school non-formal education | Children 3-6 years | Anganwadi worker |
| Nutrition and health education | Women 15-45 years | Anganwadi worker, supervisor, ANM |
| Immunisation | Children under 6; pregnant women | ANM and medical officer (health system) |
| Health check-up | Children under 6; pregnant and lactating women | ANM and medical officer |
| Referral services | Sick or severely malnourished children; high-risk mothers | Anganwadi worker and ANM, to the PHC, hospital or NRC |
Supplementary nutrition, in words
- Children 6 months to 3 years and pregnant and lactating women get a take-home ration (THR): a fortified ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat mix.
- Children 3-6 years get a morning snack and a hot cooked meal at the anganwadi.
- Severely underweight children get extra food.
- The energy and protein each group should get are fixed by government norms (Schedule II of the National Food Security Act 2013 and the Poshan 2.0 guidelines); millets and fortified foods are encouraged.
- Supplementary food fills the gap between need and home diet; it does not replace home food.
Who does what
| Functionary | Role |
|---|---|
| Anganwadi worker (AWW) | A local woman who runs the centre: family survey, growth monitoring, pre-school, food distribution, home visits, nutrition and health education, records on the Poshan Tracker |
| Anganwadi helper | Cooks and serves food, keeps the centre clean, brings children to the centre |
| Supervisor (Mukhya Sevika) | Guides, checks and trains the workers of a group of anganwadis |
| Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) | Heads the ICDS project at block level |
| ANM, ASHA and medical officer | Immunisation, health check-ups and referral; the ASHA, AWW and ANM work as the village 'AAA' team |
Activity: field visit to observe a nutrition programme
Visit an anganwadi or a school noon-meal centre during a feeding session.
- 1Get permission from the CDPO or headmaster; fix a day when food is served.
- 2★Prepare an observation checklist: building, kitchen, water, toilet, stock register, menu, hygiene, growth charts, pre-school material, records.
- 3Observe the food: what is cooked, how it is stored and served, the amount a child receives, and the cleanliness of cooks and utensils.
- 4Watch growth monitoring and look at the growth charts and Poshan Tracker records.
- 5Talk to the worker, the helper and two or three mothers about problems and what they value.
- 6Write a report: services seen, strengths, gaps and practical suggestions.
★ one-way, controls the pace
The anganwadi is the first door of public nutrition in a village. A home-science graduate working as a supervisor or nutrition counsellor can improve its menus with local millets, train workers in growth monitoring and run cooking demonstrations for mothers.
2 marks: “List the six services of ICDS.” Supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunisation, health check-up and referral services.
5 marks: “Explain the role of the anganwadi worker in ICDS.” Family survey; growth monitoring; supplementary nutrition; pre-school education; home visits and nutrition education; working with the ANM and ASHA; keeping records.
10 marks: “Describe the objectives, beneficiaries and services of ICDS.” Launch (2 October 1975, 33 blocks); five objectives; beneficiaries; six-service table; supplementary nutrition in words; functionaries; strengths and problems; Poshan 2.0.
ICDS services are 'SPN-IHR': Supplementary nutrition, Pre-school education, Nutrition and health education, Immunisation, Health check-up, Referral. The last three come through the health system.