SVSS is one of the NGO Partner of FORCES (Forum for Crèches and Child Care Services) of which the Secretariat is housed in Centre for Women's Development Studies in New Delhi. FORCES are a National network of organizations and individuals concerned with issues relating to women working in the unorganized sector and care of their children. It believes that every child has the right to early childhood care and development including crèche and child care services.
During the year a series of awareness programme was organized on Building Awareness in Promoting Quality Services for Child Care and Early Education in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and need for establishing Anganwadi Centre-cum-Crèche in Madhya Pradesh The participants were Educationists, Medical professionals, Panchayat representatives, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, NGO partners participated in the
Awareness camps. The deliberations of the campaign to highlighted the deficit in access to health and nutrition service for women and children of unorganized sector. The children of migratory communities are most vulnerable. It calls for a campaign to extend the ICDS to these communities. The Campaign identified
the need for community mobilization for:
(i) Not permitting any child to reach acute stage of malnutrition where institutional care of Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is required.Having to send children to NRC should be rare exception, than a norm.
(ii) Taking timely action for overcoming malnutrition as part of women's rights and child rights.
(iii) Tracking all children for improvement in their nutritional status, prevent of malnutrition and for availability and accessibility of all services of early childhood care, nutrition and development.
(iv) Facilitating AWCs to work as implementing agency. Village Panchayat to play a leadership role and civil society to cooperate in this initiative.
(v) Monitoring immunization and transport availability to supplement the provision of Janani Suraksha Yojana, Panchayat should provide fund for arranging vehicle for pregnant women in case of emergency.
(vi) Mobilizing village volunteers particularly young parents. There should be regular dialogue with the family so that the capacity of the family to understand health and nutrition care needs of the young child is enhanced.
FORCES-CWDS have entrusted SVSS with campaign for PRI's Role in the Implementation of ICDS in Mission Mode. Preparatory arrangements for the conducting the campaign are in the process and the campaign will be taken up during 2016-17.
Notwithstanding contention regarding the assessment methods of various global surveys, it is true that India’s high prevalence of stunting, wasting, and anaemia continues to pose public health risks for children and women. India must strengthen its existing social sector schemes, such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), to tackle this. The ICDS targets children aged 0-6 years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers; addresses non-formal pre-school education; and breaks the cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality.
To aware people especially supervisors, Anganwari workers and helpers about the requirement of proper nutrition for better health of child and mother, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Kishtwar organized one day awareness programme on “Poshan Abhiyan” at Galigad here today.
The programme was organized under the supervision of Supervisors and Health & Nutrition Mobilizer.
While addressing the gathering, Health & Nutrition Mobilizer Mohsin Nisar Doolwal described that proper nutrition is vital at every stage of life especially for children for their mental and physical growth. He said these programs should be implemented in mission mode so that the benefits of these programs reach to real beneficiaries.