Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is an Indian Government initiative that caters to children below the age of six and their mothers by providing food, preschool, education, primary healthcare, immunization, health check-up and referral services. The scheme, which was launched in the year 1975, is a flagship program that is among the world’s largest and unique initiatives for early childhood care and development. It primarily focuses on villages where over 75% of the population resides, though urban slums are also concentrated upon. This article covers the scope of the initiative. Also Read About -

National Health Policy

Objectives

The scheme seeks to:

Improve the nutritional and health status of children aged between 0-6 years and lactating mothers.
Lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.
Reduce instances of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout.
Effectively coordinate the policy and its implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.
Enhance the capability of the mother in taking care of the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through maternal education.

Range of Services Offered

The initiative offers the following services:

Supplementary nutrition
Pre-school non-formal education
Nutrition and health education
Immunization
Health check-up
Referral services

Applicability

The scheme applies to:

Children between the age of 0-6.
Pregnant and lactating mothers.
Women aged 15-44 years of age.
Adolescent children aged 18 or above for non-formal education and training on health and nutrition.

The mode of delivery of service would be as follows:

Nature of Services	Target Group	Service Provider
Supplementary Nutrition	Children aged below the age of 6, and Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (P&LM)	Anganwadi Worker and Anganwadi Helper (MWCD)
Immunization	Children aged below the age of six, and Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (P&LM)	ANM/MO (Health System, MHFW)
Health Check-up	Children aged below the age of six, and Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (P&LM)	ANM/MO/AWW (Health System, MHFW)
Referral Services	Children aged six or below, as well as Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (P&LM)	AWW/ANM/MO (Health System, MHFW)
Pre-School Education	Children aged between 3 and 6	AWW (MWCD)
Nutrition and Health Education	Women aged between 15-45 years	AWW/ANM/MO (Health System, MHFW and MWCD)

Budgetary Norms

The sharing pattern of supplementary nutrition for the North-Eastern States is 90:10, between the Centre and the State. As for other States/UTs, the sharing pattern concerning supplementary nutrition is 50:50. The existing cost-sharing ratio for other components is 90:10, except for the new components approved under Strengthening and Restructuring, for which it is 90:10 for Northeastern Region and 75:25 for other States and Union Territories.

Revised Nutrition and Feeding Norms

The provision of supplementary nutrition is made to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average Daily Intake (ADI) of children and pregnant and lactating women. The latest Nutritional and Feeding norms require the State/UT Governments to provide 300 days of supplementary food to the beneficiaries in a year, which would involve the provision of more than one meal to children aged 3-6 years. The meals so provided includes morning snacks in the form of milk/banana/egg/seasonal fruits/micro-nutrient fortified food, followed by a Hot Cooked Meal (HCM). Children aged below 3, pregnant and lactating mothers, are provided with Take Home Rations (THRs) in the form of pre-mixes/ready-to-eat food. Severely underweight children in the age group of 6 months to 7 years are provided with additional food items in the form of micronutrient fortified food and/or energy dense food as THR.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Integrated Child Development Services in India: Overview.

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is an Indian Government initiative that provides a comprehensive package of services for children below the age of six and their mothers. It focuses on improving nutrition, health, and early childhood development through supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, immunization, health check-ups, and referral services.

The ICDS program caters to children aged 0-6 years, pregnant and lactating mothers, and women in the age group of 15-44 years. Additionally, adolescent children aged 18 or above can benefit from non-formal education and training on health and nutrition.

The ICDS program offers a range of services, including supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunization, health check-ups, and referral services. These services are aimed at promoting the overall development and well-being of children and mothers.

The services under the ICDS program are delivered through a network of Anganwadi centers, where Anganwadi workers and helpers play a crucial role. Additionally, the program collaborates with the health system for services like immunization, health check-ups, and referrals.

The budgetary norms for the ICDS program vary based on the component and the region. For supplementary nutrition, the sharing pattern between the Center and the North-Eastern States is 90:10, while for other States/UTs, it is 50:50. For other components, the existing cost-sharing ratio is 90:10, except for new components approved under Strengthening and Restructuring, which follows a 90:10 ratio for the North-Eastern Region and 75:25 for other States and Union Territories.

The revised nutrition and feeding norms under the ICDS program require State/UT Governments to provide 300 days of supplementary food to beneficiaries in a year. This includes providing more than one meal to children aged 3-6 years, consisting of morning snacks and a hot cooked meal. Children aged below 3, pregnant and lactating mothers, receive Take Home Rations (THRs) in the form of pre-mixes or ready-to-eat food.

The ICDS program aims to bridge the gap between the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and the Average Daily Intake (ADI) of children and pregnant and lactating women through the provision of supplementary nutrition. Additionally, severely underweight children aged 6 months to 7 years are provided with additional food items like micronutrient-fortified food or energy-dense food as THRs.

The main objectives of the ICDS program include improving the nutritional and health status of children and lactating mothers, laying the foundation for proper physical, psychological, and social development of children, reducing instances of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, and school dropouts, and enhancing the capability of mothers to take care of their children's normal health and nutritional needs through maternal education.

The ICDS program primarily focuses on villages where more than 75% of the population resides, although urban slums are also covered under the initiative. This is because a significant portion of the Indian population resides in rural areas, and the program aims to reach these communities.

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program was launched in 1975 by the Indian Government. It is considered one of the world's largest and unique initiatives for early childhood care and development, and has been a flagship program for over four decades.