Early Childhood Care & Education
An age-specific intervention focusing on the psychological and physiological growth of children from 0-6 years
Making play a learning experience
The Early Childhood Care and Education intervention is a service-strengthening intervention.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) intervention is established as a service–strengthening intervention. We collaborate with the Department of Women and Child Development to strengthen pre–school education at Anganwadi centres. We conduct hands–on, intensive, capacity-based training to Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers, and Anganwadi Helpers, on age–specific activities to aid the physiological and psychological growth of children from 3 to 6 years of age. We do so by employing a two-pronged approach that focuses on pre–school education and nutrition. The former has grown beyond the range of Yadgir, where the Early Childhood Education intervention was honed, and is now being scaled to six other districts across Kalyana Karnataka Region in collaboration with Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and the Department of Women & Child Development.
The activities look at all-round development, including nutrition and early learning in children. We believe parents contribute largely to the well–rounded growth of their children. So, we engage with parents by conducting demonstration camps on nutrition, and through regular home visits and caregivers’ meetings.
Our ECCE intervention comprises of two programmes – Early Childhood Education and Nutrition.
- PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION
- NUTRITION
Preschool Education
Intensive trainings were conducted for Supervisors, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) with focus on learning domains of Pre-School Education (PSE) activities. The quality in conducting PSE activities have been improved and 3 hours of PSE activities are conducted in AWCs. Caregivers’ meetings are organized at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) to help parents understand the significance of early childhood education.
To increase awareness on nutrition and education in early years and role of AWCs, we successfully organized community events known as Bala Melas. The Bala Mela event brings together parents, children and the community to raise awareness on the progress made by the children as well as to help the community understand to create a space for learning and provide care to children.
NUTRITION
On aligning with the Trust’s vision, our nutrition program strategy was finalised. Our team has undergone extensive training on the causes and identification of malnutrition in children. They were coached to monitor growth measurements and record data. The training was deemed essential to help combat undernourishment.
We also held counselling sessions at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) for mothers of in-patient Severely Malnourished Children (SAM) through meetings and demonstrating the preparation of nutritional mixes and diets.
7 District’s in Kalyana Karnataka Region
No of Anganwadi Centers 0+
Anganwadi Workers/Helpers trained 0+
No of CDPOs, ACDPOs, Supervisors Trained 0+
No of Children reached 0+
Hello Poshakare – Responsive Parenting Care
Kalike implements Hello Poshakare – Responsive Parenting Care in collaboration with UNICEF in Koppal and Vijayanagara districts. The programme aims to strengthen parental understanding of ECCE and to share best practices with parents, thereby supporting them to address the holistic developmental needs of young children through home-based engagements. It targets parents with children 0-6 years of age. Audio messages are shared daily with parents to guide them in conducting simple, at-home activities for their children.
Hello Poshakare has a total of 19 modules across four topics that are in line with the NCERT ECCE guidelines and curriculum, and UNICEF’s Nurturing Care framework:
- Building awareness on the importance of early years and the role of caregivers
- Using ‘talk, touch and play’ routines and activities to improve the child’s development
- Building an emotionally secure home environment to nurture the child’s socio-emotional development
- Creating awareness about responsive caregiving and providing ways to practice it
Hello Poshakare builds awareness and confidence about caregivers’ role in children’s development. It encourages parents to listen to evidence-based audio messages four times a week, engage actively at home, practice child-friendly behaviour, and play games with their children.
The program reached 41,500+ parents across four projects of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) – two in Koppal district and two in Vijayanagara district.
Case Study
I have been listening to the audio messages for a month. Initially, I found it a little challenging. But the Anganwadi worker called for a meeting and explained how we could make use of these messages. Then, I felt at ease. I returned home, and listened to the previous week’s messages, and found that I could understand them. I tried one activity with my child. He enjoyed it. So, I went ahead with another activity. I noticed that my child tried to play in the same way on his own after I had finished. This made me realise how important these messages are!
Parents: Mrs.Rudramma and Mr.Dharmappa, Hoovinahadagali, Vijayanagara district
Expansion of Early Childhood Education
In 2025, Kalike’s Early Childhood Education interventions expanded to Meghalaya state, with the vision of strengthening the quality of pre-school education in Anganwadi Centres of Meghalaya. Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM) has created a dynamic space for organisations to collaborate and provide technical support to strengthen initiatives for children of ages 0-8 years. Kalike partners with the Meghalaya Government to replicate, contextualise, and implement the Early Childhood Education Model in two districts Ri Bhoi and East Garo Hills as a pilot. and aims to scale it up to all districts of the state.