Integrated Child Development Services Research Paper

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme was implemented in 1975 by the Government of India, with support from UNICEF. The scheme is one of the largest in the world for promotion of maternal and child health. While the ICDS involves multiple government departments, the Ministry of Women & Child Development is primarily responsible for its implementation. The primary objective of the ICDS program is to dismantle the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition and reduce mortality arising out of nutritional deficiencies by providing various services through the network of Anganwadi Centers.

The services offered by ICDS include Supplementary Nutrition, Pre-school education, Immunization and health check ups, Growth monitoring and de-worming, and Nutrition and Health education. To provide these, Anganwadi Centers have been established in selected administrative blocks. The Anganwadi Center is staffed by an Anganwadi worker and a helper who are responsible for provision of the services to the intended recipients- children below the age of six, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and women in the age group of 15-44 years. The objectives of ICDS are consistent with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for reducing child and maternal mortality, and eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.
It is capable of ensuring a nutritional safety net for the poor even in remote areas because of its established structure for a nationwide coverage. Nevertheless, it also faces some significant challenges which need to be addressed by the Government of India.

While ICDS is a multi-pronged approach to improve maternal and child health, in this essay I focus mainly on the impact of ICDS on children’s nutritional outcomes. I also briefly cover the impact on maternal