Integrated Child Development scheme

Integrated Child Development scheme was launched on 2nd October, 1975, It is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of India and represents one of the world’s largest and unique programmes for early childhood care and development. It is the foremost symbol of country’s commitment to its children and nursing mothers, as a response to the challenge of providing pre-school non-formal education on one hand and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality on the other.

Objectives

• Improving the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group of 0-6 years;
• To reduce the incidence of
  • mortality,
  • morbidity,
  • malnutrition and
  • school dropout;
• To lay the foundation for proper
  • psychological,
  • physical and
  • social development of the child;
• To achieve effective co-ordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development; and
• To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

A package of six services offered under ICDS scheme. These are :-

1. Supplementary Nutrition
2. Pre-school non-formal education
3. Nutrition & health education
4. Immunization
5. Health check-up and
6. Referral services                                                                                                                                      

The beneficiaries are:

1. Children 0–6 years of age
2. Pregnant and lactating mothers
3. Women 15–44 year of age
4. Since 1991 adolescent girls upto the age of 18 years for non formal education and training on health and nutrition.

The last 3 services are related to health and are offered by Ministry/Department of Health and Family Welfare through NRHM & Health system. For better governance in the delivery of the Scheme, convergence is, therefore, one of the key features of the ICDS Scheme. This convergence is in-built in the Scheme which provides a platform in the form of Anganwadi Centres for providing all services under the Scheme. 

Population Norms to Set up AWCs/Mini-AWCs

All AWCs are given :

• Medicine Kit - AWCs - Rs 1,500/- per annum, Mini-AWC - Rs 750/- per annum.
• Administrative Expenses - AWCs - Rs 2,000/- per annum; Mini-AWCs - Rs 1,000/- per annum
• Pre-School Kit/ ECCE (including Training)- Rs 5,000/- per AWC/Mini-AWC per annum (including the cost of PSE Kit, Activity Book, etc.)
• IEC - AWCs Rs 1,000/- per annum
• Rent (per month) - AWCs/Mini-AWCs - Rural/Tribal - Rs 1,000, Urban - Rs 4,000, Metropolitan - Rs 6,000
• Maintenance of building (for Government owned AWC buildinqs onlv) - AWCs/Mini-AWCs - Rs 3,000/- per annum.
• Equipment/Furniture(once in 5 years) - AWCs - Rs 10,000/-, Mini-AWCs - Rs 7,000/- to cover the cost of water filter for serving safe cleanwater, furniture, equipments, etc.
• Monitoring &Evaluation - AWCs/Mini-AWCs - Rs 1,500/- per annum.
• Flexi Fund - Rs 1,000/- per annum for disaster and naxal affected AWCs.

Know your AWCs : icds-wcd.nic.in