ADB grants a $40.5 million loan for Meghalaya’s integrated early childhood development program

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday that it has authorized a $40.5 million loan for a Meghalayan program that combines maternal mental health and early childhood development (ECD).

According to a statement from the international financial organization, the state government is donating $15.27 million to the project.

 

According to the initiative, daycare (Anganwadi) centers in Meghalaya would improve both home-based childcare (for children under 1.5 years old) and center-based childcare (for children between 1.5 and 6 years old).

 

The project’s goal is to increase access to maternal mental healthcare and group-based parenting programs that will allow dads to be included in caregiving, as well as loving care.

 

The addition of eggs to the diets of pregnant and breastfeeding women and children between the ages of 0.5 and 6 years, according to the ADB, would also increase nutritional adequacy.

 

The initiative would assist in establishing nutrition gardens at Anganwadi centers (AWC) as one of numerous climate-resilient characteristics for increased food variety and nutrition security, it stated.

 

“A child’s growth and development depend heavily on the first few years, particularly the first 1,000 days. Building a solid growing foundation for a kid requires early provision of adequate nourishment, caring care, and support for both parents. Mothers are at the center of childcare, therefore it’s crucial to make sure they have the necessary health services and support, according to ADB Principal Health Specialist Dinesh Arora.

 

“ADB is committed to supporting the state government’s efforts to mainstream ECD and in adopting this innovative project design that can be scaled up across the country,” the official said.

 

The development of policies and training curricula for AWC employees and ECD educators will be aided by a $2 million technical support grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, according to the statement.

 

As a center of excellence for ECD services, a new state resource center for the developing child will also be built. In order to inform national and international childcare policy, the ADB will conduct a first-of-its-kind large scale study to evaluate the efficacy of integrated ECD interventions in a lower middle-income country.

 

While continuing its efforts to end extreme poverty, ADB is dedicated to establishing a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific. It was founded in 1966 and is owned by 68 people, 49 of them are locals.