Anganwadi is a government sponsored child-care and mother-care center in India. It caters to children in the 0-6 age group. The word means "courtyard shelter" in Hindi. They were started by the Indian government in 1975 as part of the Integrated Child Development Services program to combat child hunger and malnutrition.

Contents

1 System of workers

2 Challenges and solutions

3 International efforts

4 References

System of workers

The Anganwadi system is mainly managed by the Anganwadi worker. She is a health worker chosen from the community and given 4 months training in health, nutrition and child-care. She is incharge of an Anganwadi which covers a population of 1000. 20 to 25 Anganwadi workers are supervised by a Supervisor called Mukhyasevika. 4 Mukhyasevikas are headed by a Child Development Projects Officer (CDPO).

There are an estimated 1.053 million anganwadi centers employing 1.8 million mostly-female workers and helpers across the country. They provide outreach services to poor families in need of immunization, healthy food, clean water, clean toilets and a learning environment for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. They also provide similar services for expectant and nursing mothers. According to government figures, anganwadis reach about 58.1 million children and 10.23 million pregnant or lactating women.

Anganwadis are India's primary tool against the scourges of child malnourishment, infant mortality and curbing preventable diseases such as polio. While infant mortality has declined in recent years