Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

This study aimed to assess the existing status and services of AWCs selected purposively from the Agra district. The study was conducted on 40 AWCs and 150 ICDS beneficiaries & 150 ICDS non-beneficiary women. The researcher found that general articles of use in kitchen, toilet, pre-school, and growth monitoring equipment were not adequate in most of the Anganwadi centers. AWCs lacked adequate space for outdoor/ indoor activities, storage, and cooking. The result shows that the attendance of target groups in NHEd sessions was quite low. This indicates a need to increase the motivation of beneficiaries to avail NHEd sessions. The pre and post maternal services were not adequately availed by the women. Immunization service for polio vaccine was availed by most of the children of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. The knowledge regarding nutrition was found to be significantly higher in beneficiaries than that of non-beneficiaries in the rural (z=2.28) as well as slum areas (z=5.23). Similarly, the beneficiaries of rural (z=4.05) and slum (z=5.74) areas had significantly higher knowledge regarding breastfeeding than their counterparts.