Progress and challenges of icds in madurai district of selected blocks

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is the most comprehensive scheme of the Government of India for early childhood care and development. It aims at enhancing survival and development of children from the vulnerable sections of society, ICDS is a unique programme, it encompasses the main components of human resources development namely, health nutrition and education. The programme today covers over 4.8 million expectant and nursing mothers and over 23 million children under the age of six. Of these children, more than half participate in early learning activities. The purpose of ICDS is to improve the health, nutrition and development of children. The programme offers health, nutrition and hygiene education to mothers, non-formal preschool education to children aged three to six, supplementary feeding for all children and pregnant and nursing mothers, growth monitoring and promotion, and links to primary healthcare services such as immunization and vitamin A supplements. These services are delivered in an integrated manner at the anganwadi, or childcare centre. Each centre is run by an anganwadi worker and one helper, who undergo three months of institutional training and four months of community-based training. The cost of the ICDS programme averages $10-$22 per child a year. Thus, the study to analyze the function of AWW intervention by ICDS and improved the outreach of maternal and child health (MCH).