Challenges and Possibilities in Reaching the Under-Threes Presented at the South Asian Regional Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education New Delhi, August 2012 Zakiya Kurrien Centre For Learning Resources, Pune

Interventions in the earliest years make a difference Interventions which combine appropriate nutrition together with psychosocial stimulation have a greater impact on both physical growth and psychological development Interventions during children’s first 2 and 3 years (including prenatal care) are more likely to forestall deficits in psychosocial development than during their preschool years ECCE programmes can improve parent-child interaction, and impact on feeding and other caregiving behaviours The Evidence

Interventions can be characterised as : Child – Focused Direct interventions with children Usually 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 homes An initiative of Centre For Learning Resources (CLR) Most children in this age group being taken care of within the family Resource constraints for starting creches / daycare centres Children at highest risk are younger than those attending balwadis 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 Approach Combined 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 Members Field-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 Help TOTs for Master Trainers (Intensive programme ) Discussion Feedback 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 Nutrition 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 DOMAINSSUB-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-specific Adapting 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 Plus For Communicators : Interactive communication techniques How to plan and conduct effective caregivers’ meetings How to conduct effective follow-up home visits Plus For 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 up CLR 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