CLR is involved in strengthening ECCE services in 15 ICDS Anganwadis in Lucknow city. We train and support the anganwadi workers (AWWs) to provide good quality ECCE in their centres, through implementation of the CLR holistic, activity-based curriculum and playful materials. The ultimate aim is that these anganwadis may serve as Demonstration Sites that will inspire a large-scale intervention in this location.

Recurrent training has been followed by intensive onsite mentoring to all AWWs. A significant achievement of these AWCs is that despite the chronic absence of AWWs on account of additional duties that they are assigned, the children continue to get the benefit of a well-functioning ECCE programme and also attend regularly. This has been possible because CLR has made special efforts to ensure that even the Helpers from the anganwadis are well trained in the activities, and can therefore lead the ECCE work in the absence of the AWW. In order to ensure the availability of the Helper, we conducted intensive community meetings in which we encouraged families to take on some responsibilities of the Helper, such as bringing the children and picking them up from the AWCs. This work has reinforced our understanding that strengthening ECCE in the AWCs is not just a matter of training the AWWs or providing material, but also of fostering a joint ownership for the child’s well-being in the AWW and Helper, and between the AWC staff and community.