ABSTRACT
The situation of the young child in India is grim; child development indicators are unacceptably poor. Gender discrimination leads to especially poor outcomes for girls. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is extensive but has multiple systemic and structural issues. Access to pre-schools is less than 14 per cent, and ECCE is the weakest link in the ICDS. Apart from the absence of ECCE, there are limited day care arrangements. Low-income households need special attention as their ability to provide a caring environment for their children is constrained. Within the ICDS, systemic deficiencies have led to the neglect of the 0–3 age group. There is a need for cross-sectoral actions to strengthen and re-envisioning of the ICDS with close household outreach. The anganwadi workers must be treated as full-time professional child care workers and their remuneration enhanced significantly. Sustained education and counselling of parents must become a vital element of the ICDS programme. Day care services and the National Creche Scheme need to be expanded. ECD budgets need manyfold enhancement to implement the recommendations.
