challenges and possibilities in reaching the under-threes presented at the south asian regional...
TRANSCRIPT
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 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 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
Help
TOTs 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 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