Aarambh by ICDS- Proposed Approaches

The Aarambh project has implemented various approaches to disseminate childcare information to parents and families, focusing on creating an enabling environment for the holistic development of children. This blog explores the key approaches utilized, including home visits, parents' meet, parents' fair, and other community events, highlighting their significance in promoting nurturing care.

Home Visit: Home visits have proven to be an effective method of directly conveying information to families. Initially, the home visits by Anganwadi and Asha workers were one-sided, solely focused on delivering information. However, under the Aarambh project, the approach was redesigned to ensure effective utilization of this medium. Now, the workers plan the visits in advance, including a list of children's names, age-appropriate play materials, parental care magazines, and communication agendas. The family is informed about the visit in advance, and all family members actively participate in the discussion. The workers engage in bilateral dialogue, demonstrating age-appropriate activities using easily available household objects and emphasizing the importance of holistic child development through games, interactive activities, and care manuals. This approach facilitates a meaningful exchange of information and empowers caregivers.

Parents' Meet: The Mothers' Meet, known as Maata Sabha, was initially used to disseminate information to mothers only. However, recognizing the importance of involving fathers in child upbringing, the Aarambh project expanded these meetings to include both parents, renaming them as Parents' Meet or Palak Sabha. The parents are divided into groups based on the age of their children, and each group meets once a week. Teenage girls also have a separate group, meeting once a month. Instead of providing uniform information to all parents, the meetings offer age-appropriate information to specific groups. The Anganwadi and Asha workers jointly plan these meetings, including pre-planning, group selection, choice of games, and counseling manuals. The meetings involve play activities with toys and discussions on food, health, hygiene, and a safe environment. Parents are encouraged to engage in positive activities at home with their children, and challenges in childcare are addressed. The meetings conclude by deciding the date and time for the next month's gathering.

Parents' Fair: Parents' Fair, known as Palak Melawa, serves as an effective medium for conveying the importance of child development to the entire community. This gathering brings together stakeholders from various departments, such as Integrated Child Development Services, Health Department, Panchayat, and Education Department, to collectively contribute to child development. Two types of Parents' Fairs are conducted: small-scale assemblies at the village level and larger assemblies at the taluka or area level. These fairs empower families to actively participate in their child's overall development, fostering positive social change.

Other Community Events: In addition to home visits and parents' meet, other community events are organized to disseminate childcare information and create awareness. These events include Food Consumption Day, which focuses on the introduction of solid foods to infants after six months, and provides detailed guidance to family members on nutrition and feeding practices. New Registration sessions target newly married couples, emphasizing the importance of early registration at Anganwadi Centers during pregnancy. This session provides information on prenatal care, child development, and the roles and responsibilities of family members. Baby Showers are conducted to provide guidance on diet and health for pregnant mothers, serving as an opportunity to disseminate childcare information to the entire family.

Best Practices: The Aarambh project has implemented several best practices to enhance the effectiveness of childcare dissemination, including capacity building of Anganwadi supervisors and group promoters as trainers, the use of social networking platforms to generate excitement and curiosity among parents, incorporating demonstrations of parents' assembly and home visits during training sessions, adopting a participatory approach that encourages the active involvement of parents, utilizing the appreciative inquiry method to focus on strengths and positive aspects of childcare, and leveraging the Mother and Child Care Manual as a central resource.

Conclusion: The Aarambh project has successfully implemented various approaches to disseminate childcare information and promote nurturing care. Through home visits, parents' meet, parents' fair, and other community events, the project has effectively engaged parents, families, and the community in the holistic development of children. These approaches have facilitated meaningful communication, provided age-appropriate information, empowered caregivers, and contributed to positive social change. By continuing to implement and expand these approaches, the Aarambh project is making a significant impact on nurturing care and early childhood development.

References:

1. Aarambh - Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development.

2. Integrated Child Development Services, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.