Challenges and Possibilities in Reaching the Under-Threes

Presented at theSouth Asian Regional Conference

on Early Childhood Care and EducationNew Delhi, August 2012

Zakiya KurrienCentre For Learning Resources, Pune

Interventions in the earliest years make a difference

Interventions which combine appropriate nutrition together withpsychosocial stimulation have a greater impact on both physicalgrowth and psychological development

Interventions during children’s first 2 and 3 years (includingprenatal care) are more likely to forestall deficits in psychosocialdevelopment than during their preschool years

ECCE programmes can improve parent-child interaction, andimpact on feeding and other caregiving behaviours

The Evidence

Interventions can be characterised as :

Child – Focused

Direct interventionswith childrenUsually centre - based

Parent – Focused

Direct contact with parents, usually mothers

• Parent meetings• Home visits

Joint – Focused

Direct interventions for children and parents• Centre - based services

Plus • Parent meetings and home visits

Reaching the under-threes in their homesAn initiative of Centre For Learning Resources (CLR)

Most children in this age group being taken care of withinthe family

Resource constraints for starting creches / daycare centres

Children at highest risk are younger than those attendingbalwadis and anganwadis (preschool centres)

Caregiver education as an ECCE strategy needs to be systematically explored

Conditions that support home-based interventions

Designing the approach

The Overall ApproachCombined Participation and CLR Technical Inputs

Curriculum for caregiver education, communication materials, training programmes

Observation, interviews,discussion with parents and families

• Educate anganwadi workers (ECCE workers) and other field workers about pre-natal health, child health and nutrition, and psychosocial stimulation

• Train them as effective ‘communicators’ of messages related to holistic child care

• Assist government agencies and NGOs to implement home-based interventions for improvement of early child care within families

Building capacity for home-based interventions

Family / Community MembersField-based ‘Communicator’

Caregiver & Child

CLR Technical Support : • Assistance in designing programme strategies• Training for effective communication• Modules• Visual Aids, Videos, Exhibitions

Meetings

Meetings Home visits Field- based training of

communicators by master trainers, & monitoring

HelpTOTs for Master Trainers(Intensive programme)

DiscussionFeedback

Discussion Feedback

CLR Education Package for parents and other caregivers of the birth - 3 years age group

Focus on • Understanding holistic child development and role of caregivers• Prime messages in :

- Pre-natal health - neo-natal care, child and maternal health- child nutrition- importance of psychosocial stimulation and how to provide it- child protection and age-appropriate child-rearing

• Play materials (from daily objects and waste material) • Gender equity in caregiving practices

Health l Nutrition l Psychosocial Development

Available in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Oriya

Curriculum for Caregiver Education

Basic Knowledge Related to Child Development• Concept of holistic child care - health, nutrition,

psychosocial stimulation, emotional well-being• Role of parents and other caregivers within the family• Developmental characteristics of under-threes• Individual differences (Each child unique)• Understanding that learning begins at birth; benefits of

early infant stimulation, play, caregiver-child interaction

Curriculum framework for main domains of holistic care for under-threes

DOMAINS SUB-STAGES

Prenatal Neonatal – Year 1 Year 2 & 3

Health & Nutrition

Psychosocial / Cognitive Development

Appropriate Handling of Infants; Emotional Security

Protection / Safety

1. Pre-intervention survey tools, to understand: • Existing caregiver knowledge about pre-natal health,

neonatal care, child nutrition, child health and psychosocial stimulation

• Caregiver behaviour : observation of caregiver-child interaction

2. Use of Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) for contextualising interventions

Making inputs locale-specificAdapting the generic content of the CLR Education Package to local needs

Guide Book

Components of the CLR Education Package

Manual for Communicators

Discussion Photographs

Pictorial Handouts for Caregivers

Other Visual Materials

Home-visit Guidelines

Communication Approach

• Devised for illiterate, semi-literate audience

• Constructive rather than compensatory approach

• Active learning by caregivers

• Materials suitable for anganwadi (ECCE) workers / ‘communicators’ who may have modest literacy levels

• Visual communication

Mobiles

Sound makers

Puppets

Puzzles

Picture Books

Playthings made during meetings

Training programme for communicators and master trainers

PlusFor Communicators :Interactive communication techniquesHow to plan and conduct effective caregivers’ meetingsHow to conduct effective follow-up home visits

PlusFor Master Trainers :How to organise and conduct effective training programmes for local communicators

Includes all inputs designed for caregivers (i.e. content of Education Package)

• Exhibitions

• Videos

• Songs

• Organising ‘Child Care Days’

Community-based advocacy for holistic child care

Activities during‘Child Care Day’ in villages

Summing upCLR technical support for holistic child care : Pre-natal - 3 years age group

Generic education package for caregivers, which can be contextualised

Field-tested communication approach

Community-based channels for message delivery

Materials suitable for ‘communicators’ who may have modest literacy level

Training programmes and training materials

Community awareness-raising and advocacy for responsive parenting: Materials and strategies