Early Childhood Care & Development
A child’s development does not begin when they enter the formal school system; GCK believes that the first six years of a child’s life are the most important. These years provide the foundation upon which an individual is created and it is essential for the healthy development of any growing person to be properly cared for. However, it is difficult to separate this sector for reporting because other areas such as RCH and Nutrition programs have a significant impact on young children development and could rightly be considered under the ECCD heading.
Pre education learning at Balwari centers
Therefore, for the sake of reporting the ECCD will confine itself to the programs directly involved in addressing children’s development. The main goals being to increase the percentage of families providing a nurturing and stimulating environment for children aged 0-6 years, and increase the number of children 3-6 years receiving care and stimulation in a group setting.
Major Initiatives
 | Increase the percentage of young children being raised in a positive environment through awareness building measures |
| Provide a protective and nurturing environment for children aged 3-6 years to come and be amongst peers and educators who help create an enjoyable and stimulating experience to help the child develop necessary social andmental skills. |
Nutrition Program
Malnutrition severely compromises children’s development. As a result, the level of malnourished children requires urgent action. Therefore the goal of GCK is to enhance the growth and development of infants and children in the project area through better nourishment. This has been done by promoting age appropriate feeding practices and thereby reducing the current malnutrition rate and the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency diseases. In addition, all the children attending Balwadi centers are receiving supplementary food and being monitored monthly through growth chart recording. Promoting kitchen garden for families, have helped in enhancing communities awareness on nutrition and enrich dietary practices. Children who fall in 2nd and 3rd degree malnutrition were taken with serious concern under mission red-alert and meticulous counseling, training and monitoring were done with the caregivers.
Major Initiatives
| Promote awareness of proper healthy diets among households and the community |
| Ensure access to necessary micronutrients for families |
| Provide nutritional supplements for children in organization run centers |
