Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)

I.C.D.S. is an integrated approach for the development of women and children from disadvantaged sections across the life cycle.. ICDS Programme was conceived in Kerala science 1975 with an integrated delivery package of early child hood services so that their synergistic effect can be taken full advantage of the schemes. The Scheme targets the most vulnerable groups of population including children up to 6 years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers belonging to poorest of the poor families and living in disadvantaged areas including backward rural areas, tribal areas and urban slums. The identification of beneficiaries is done through surveying the community and identifying the families living below the poverty line.

The Status of ICDS functionaries is as under 

Operational Status       

ICDS

*        symbolizes the country’s commitment to its children 

*        promotes child survival and development through an integrated approach for converging basic services for improved child care, early stimulation and learning, improved enrolment and retention, health and nutrition, and water and environmental sanitation.

 *       Integrated and inter-sect oral nature, coordination mechanism, community involvement, training infrastructure and monitoring system make ICDS a unique programme.

 *       has the potential to achieve the major national nutrition, health and educational goals of the National Plan of Action for Children

 *       provides increased opportunities for according children their rights

 *       Through its advocacy and social mobilization components aims to empower the community using communication channels and media as tools for development.

The broad objectives of the scheme are  

1. to improve the nutritional and health status of  children in the age group  0-6years

2. to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical, and social development of the child;

3. to reduce the incidence of Infant Mortality, Morbidity, Malnutrition and  School drop outs;

4. to co-ordinate the activities of various departments to promote child development.

5. 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.

           As a part of universalisation, all the 14 districts have ICDS Cells.

  The amount proposed under the scheme is to meet the continuing implementation of ICDS Programme, Honorarium to AWW & AWH, Salary of ICDS Staff, to meet the expenditure on TA, Contingencies, Rent, Fuel, IEC activities etc. It includes  the Additional Honorarium  sanctioned to AWW/AWH by state Government @ Rs.550/- and 475/- respectively.

SERVICES TO BENEFICIARIES

1. Children 3-6 Months

·         Early detection of childhood disabilities & referral

·         Early childhood stimulation

·         Growth monitoring

·         Food supplementation

·         Immunization

·         Periodic Health check up

·         Treatment of minor and common ailments

·         Referral services

·         Vitamin A supplementation

·         Diarrhoeal management and acute respiratory infection management

2. Children 37-72 Months

·         Early childhood education

·         Early childhood stimulation

·         Early detection of disabilities & referral

·         Supplementary nutrition

·         Quality growth monitoring

·         IFA supplementation

·         De-worming biannually

·         Referral services

3. Adolescent Girls

·         Health and Nutrition Education

·         Family Life Education

·         De-worming biannually

·         Targeted education on specific aspects of reproductive health and  education

·         Distribution of Iron and Folic Acid tablets

4. Pregnant Women

·         Antenatal care

·         Monitoring of monthly weight gain

·         TT immunisation

·         Food supplementation

·         Nutrition and Health Education

·         Joyful pregnancy-enabling meet

4. Nursing Women

·         Postnatal Care

·         Nutrition and Health Education

·         Birth spacing

·         Food supplementation

·         Referral services for postnatal complications

7. Community

·         Health and Nutrition Education

Importance of better infrastructure in ICDS. 

            The Anganwadi, literally a courtyard play centre, is a childcare centre located within the village or the slum area itself. It is the focal point for the delivery of services at the community level, to children below 6 years of age, pregnant women, nursing mothers and adolescent girls. Besides this, the Anganwadi Centre is a meeting ground where women/ mothers group can come together to promote awareness and joint action for child development and women’s empowerment. ICDS has given new thrust to adolescent schemes for breaking the intergenerational life cycle of nutritional disadvantage and providing a supportive environment for self-development. The intervention is focussed on self-development, nutrition, health education, literacy, recreation, skill formation etc. Efforts are also undertaken to reduce the prevalence of anaemia among adolescent girls through creation of awareness and distribution of IFA tablets. As far as old aged and disabled are concerned a feeling of being loved and cared is a must and ICDS has given utmost consideration to this and various welfare schemes are being implemented for these people also. Now Govt has decided to upgrade Anganwadis as Community resource centre at village level in order to provide information regarding social security schemes for the destitute, disabled and old age people. It is a fact that the objectives of the scheme can be achieved only if the Anganwadi centres are provided with basic facilities.

            Majority of the children belong to BPL category with poor infrastructure and environmental sanitation, inappropriate child caring and feeding practices. These circumstances can impede their physical, social and mental development. Children spend more than 6 hours at the Anganwadi centre in a day. Since equality of opportunity is a right for children, proper and adequate facility must be provided at the Anganwadi in order to overcome the deficiencies of home. But the fact is that only nearly 50 % of the Anganwadis are having own building that too with meagre facilities. Out of which majority does not have enough space for play, improper ventilation, insufficient space for the activities of women and adolescents. For the better delivery of services a minimum of 10 cents of land with properly constructed building is required. Now it is the responsibility of the Local Self Government to provide the basic amenities for the Anganwadi and the conduct of the Supplementary Programme. More over they have to spend for other service and welfare schemes. Thus LSG s may not be in a position to provide additional fund for the purchase of land and construction of building. In this regard Govt of India assistance is urgently required. This may be done in a phased manner, so that all Anganwadi Centres will have proper building and suitable land within the next five years.

Grading of Anganwadi Centres

            Inorder to assess the functioning of AWCs a grading system based on the general functioning and basic amenities available in AWCs was introduced. A benchmark was prepared and circulated among CDPOs. The grading was done on criteria like availability of services, basic amenities, ability of the functionaries, coverage of the beneficiaries, community participation and women empowerment. The maximum mark is 100.

            The CDPOs maintain a detailed list regarding grading in their office. Steps are taken to improve status from lower grade to higher grade on the basis of grading details.

Benefits to Anganwadi Workers and Helpers

The Anganwadi Workers and Helpers are given honorarium as per Govt. norms. Since the ratio of honorarium is very meager and insufficient and the constant demand for enhancing the same the Govt. of Kerala is giving Rs.300/- each per month to Anganwadi Workers/Helpers as State share. The details are given below.

Dying harness employment for the dependents of AWWs and Helpers

If an AWW or Helper die while in service a dependent of AWW/Helper will be appointed as AWW/Helper subject to their educational qualification. The dependent will also be given Rs.10,000/- as compensation.

AWARD SCHEMES TO ANGANWADI WORKERS

           The Award Schemes for Anganwadi Workers for 2005-06 had been implemented. Applications are invited for giving State Award for 2006-07.

Anganwadi KaryaKartri Bima Yojajan

           Insurance Cover to the Aganwadi Workers and Helpers through an insurance scheme named “Anganwadi Karyakatri Bima Youjana” under the life insurance Corporation Social Group Scheme. The Scheme will be effective from 1.4.2004. The Scheme is optional for the target group. A master policy will be issued in favour of the Nodal Agency to be identified to act for and on behalf of the insured members in all matters relating to the scheme. The nodal agency could be the respective Drawing & Disbursing Offficersw for the Aganwadi Workers and Helpers.

                The total annual premium for the scheme per member was Rs. 280/-. That is Rs. 200/- for Janashree Bima Yojana and Rs. 80 for the female critical illness benefit. The share of premium from various sources were

•  Rs. 100/- from Govt. of India

• Rs. 100/- from LIC’s Social Security fund

•  Rs. 80/- from the individual Anganwadi worker/helper

(The premium for Rs. 80/- payable by the individual Anganwadi worker/helper for Critical illness benefit would be waived for a period of two years from 1/4/2007 to 31/3/2009 and any further premium from the members for this period is also waived either for new schemes or for renewal of old schemes)

Salient Feature

• The scheme is applicable to person in the age group 18-60 years

• Death other than by accident                                     Rs. 20000

• On death due to accident                                          Rs. 60,000

• Permanent to all disability due to accident                    Rs. 50,000

• Loss of 2 eyes or 2 limbs or
  one eye and one lime in an accident                             Rs. 50,000

• Loss of One eye or one limb in an accident                     Rs. 25,000

• Scholarship of Rs. 300/- per quarter per child studying in the 9^th to 12^th Standard, (restricted to two children). If a strident fails, he will not be eligible for a scholarship for the following year in the same Standers.

• Add on Benefit of Critical lines Rs. 20,000/- on the occurrence of any one of the following Critical lionesses:-

•  Breast Cancer

• Ovarian Cancer/Fallopian Tube Cancer

• Cervical Cancer

• Uterine Cancer

• Vaginal Naval Cancer

Community participation is the key message for the success of the scheme. ICDS has become a people’s programme. Under Phase III  Project seminars and camps are conducted under IEC activities to create awareness to the public for the effective implementation of ICDS Programme.

SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED THROUGH  ICDS

 Children 

• Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP)

• Immunisation

• Pre-School Education

• Health Check-up

• Referral Service

• Early Detection and Early Intervention of Childhood Disabilities (EDEICD)

• State Plan of Action for the Child in Kerala (SPAC)

• Balika Samridhi Yojana (BSY)

Women

• Kishori Sakthi Yojana (KSY)

• National Nutrition Mission (NNM)

• Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG)

• Integrated Women Empowerment  Programme (IWEP) or SWAYAMSIDHHA

• TAKE HOME  RATION  SCHEME (THRS)