Sutradhar began its work in 1995 as a resource centre committed to improving the quality of education for underprivileged children. Its resources cater primarily to design and dissemination of early learning materials to the Indian context, thereby making learning more meaningful for those involved. Forum for Crèche and Childcare Services (FORCES) came into being in 1989. This is a national level organisation committed to securing the rights of under-privileged children, aged 0-6 years. It works towards promoting holistic child-care and development appropriate to age groups: (a) below six months; (b) for under-threes; and (c) 3-6 years. Sutradhar took the lead in starting FORCES chapter in Karnataka (FORCES-K) in September 2001.

The need for FORCES in Karnataka grew out of the idea that there was lack of advocacy and interest in the state of a young child. Services provided through anganwadis and balwadis were not age appropriate and lacked focus on the young child. In order to improve these services, need for greater awareness and motivation among the stakeholders - mothers and communities at large - was felt. Towards this, Sutradhar decided to take up a diagnostic qualitative study of urban anganwadis in Bangalore.

Under the Small Grant Programme, the Trust has supported Sutradhar for the study, which was recently concluded. A brief introduction and summary of this report is given below.

Introduction

The "Status Report on the Young Child" was commissioned by Karnataka FORCES in 2003-2004. Karnataka FORCES is one of nine state chapters of a national advocacy network, FORCES - Forum for Crèche and Childcare Services. This network is unique in its work of advocating for early childhood care and development services, for underprivileged children below six years.

These children typically belong to families mired in poverty, for whom government services are the only option. As service providers, the government is unparalleled in its outreach and potential of impact. It is a challenge for the government to ensure the delivery of quality services at such a large scale; and a responsibility to wisely spend the financial sums that are involved.

In this context; as an institution of civil society, a national level NGO network can bring to bear its collective wisdom and diversity in strengthening the effectiveness of government programmes and policies. FORCES members, including NGOs such as Mobile Crèches and SEWA, have drawn on their field practice and research, and played a key role in influencing policy formulation in early childhood care and development.

Through this status report, Karnataka FORCES has attempted to understand the structures and possibilities offered by different policies and programmes, and their actual impact at ground level. We anticipated that this exercise would illuminate areas for change and spawn ideas for action.

The document attempts to synthesise and analyse available secondary information. This has been a challenge, as government data lies scattered and is not always available in the public domain. We hope that this report will provide the larger backdrop and reference point against which future advocacy initiatives, research studies, and community programmes in early childhood can be positioned.

The importance of early childhood care and development

There are many arguments in favour of improved childcare services for young children.

1. The most compelling argument is from the perspective of human development and cognition, which recognises that 75 per cent of brain development occurs by the age of six years. There are critical "windows of opportunity" in the early years, when the child is most receptive to care and stimulation. Children who do not receive adequate healthcare and food at this stage fall into a cycle of malnutrition and illness. When this is coupled by a lack of adequate stimulation, the young child is liable to have cognitive disadvantages that are not easily compensated for in adulthood.
2. From a rights perspective; maternal and childcare services are a step towards ensuring the rights of both women and children. They are of particular benefit to the vast numbers of women working in the unorganised labour sector.
3. Early childhood care also makes sound financial sense in economic terms. Young children who receive good nutrition, healthcare and preschool education are more likely to go to primary school; and to complete schooling. They are more likely to be healthy and productive adults.
4. One of the most common forms of child labour is sibling care, which becomes the burden of the young girl child. Childcare services ensure gender justice; by making it possible for girls to be free to attend school. Educated women, in turn, are better able to meet the family's needs of health care, nutrition, and infant stimulation.
5. In terms of scale, children under six years constitute 12 per cent of the population. This is no small size, and is particularly significant, as young, vulnerable children are a group least able to stand up for their needs or rights.

The status report: key issues

We looked at key issues and programmes that relate to the young child in Karnataka. A set of eight themes were chosen for their significance:

1. Facts and figures on the young child: This introductory paper provides an overview on the status of children with respect to key indices, with inter-district variations.
2. Sex selective foeticide: The falling child sex ratio in the state reveals that this needs to be an area of urgent attention. Foeticide is one of the most casually administered, violent forms of discrimination against one half of our children - our girls.
3. Maternity provisions embrace issues of maternal health and entitlements, and relate directly to the start that a child gets. They are of particular significance for the large number of women who work in the harsh, fragile, and unrecognised labour economy. Almost a third of families are headed by women, for whom maternal and childcare services are a crucial social support.
4. Crèches support working women and young children at their most vulnerable stage. They are of particular significance in the context of migration and urbanisation; where traditional extended family support may not exist. They also free girls from sibling care; allowing greater access to girls' schooling.
5. Anganwadis as part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) are the main, the largest, and the most holistic service for the young child. They serve both mother and child; meeting the triple needs of food, health care and preschool education.
6. Preschool education: This paper explores services in early childhood education; and comments on the growing, unregulated private sector that steps in when government services are inadequate.
7. Health: Too many of our young children are malnourished and anaemic. This paper comments on the larger public health delivery system that must work in tandem with the ICDS to provide essential healthcare - to our young children as well as their mothers; who are often still in their teens themselves.
8. Disability: A poorly functioning health care system puts all children at risk for disability. This paper highlights the many preventable disabilities and the need for early detection and treatment.

The framework and methodology

In each of these papers, we first trace international and national perspectives, and see how the child has been viewed through time. Government policies and programmes are formulated in keeping with these perspectives, sometimes with targets of coverage and time, and fiscal commitments and responsibilities of centre and state. In this document, government provisions and schemes are outlined in detail, to understand problems that may exist in the way schemes are formulated. We also attempt to understand problems in accessing or providing services, the quality of services provided, and the impact on indicators of children's well-being.

Data on the provision of services is inadequately recorded. It is therefore not possible to infer a causal link between policy, programme, delivery and outcome. At best; shifts and trends in key indices provide a sense of the shifting status of children. An attempt has been made to correlate data where possible, so that coverage and impact can be inferred and assessed. Wherever possible, disaggregated data by district, gender and social stratum has been obtained.

Each paper concludes with a summary of issues of concern, and priority areas of action.

Summary

This report has helped us in putting together a snapshot of key concerns in relation to the young child. It has suggested areas for further enquiry and action. It has ratified our belief in focusing on the ICDS as the most important area of concern. Looking at the young child holistically, we realise that piecemeal sops and schemes do not help: a more systemic approach is required. It is time to review entire schemes and acts that have failed to impact the young child, particularly for crèches and maternity entitlements.

A summary of the themes and priority areas for future advocacy is presented below.

For the full report please contact sutra@vsnl.com