Integrated Child Development Services

The Integrated Child Development Sevices Programme aims at providing services to pre-school children in an integrated manner so as to ensure proper growth and development of children in rural, tribal and slum areas. ICDS is a centrally sponsored scheme.

Objectives:

To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0 to 6 years.

To lay the foundations for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child.

To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school drop-out.

To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.

To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.

ICDS -- In Maharashtra

There are 416 projects in Maharashtra out of which:

279 projects in Rural areas.

59 projects in Tribal areas.

78 projects in Urban Slum areas.

Total population of the children of 0-6 years of age is 1,31,87,087 in Maharashtra State (as per census 2001).

The population of the children 0-6 years of age in the areas covered by ICDS scheme in Maharashtra is about 80,00,000.

There are 75,308 Anganwadi functioning Under ICDS scheme.