This comprehensive study is intended to inform practitioners, policymakers, influencers, and researchers on the state of children’s physical and cognitive development in India, with the following key aspects:
- Introduces two young child indices aggregating selected indicators to separately track child outcomes and child circumstances.
- Provides an account of the current situation of the young child in terms of physical and cognitive development, access to care, disadvantaged children and major issues that have led to the continued neglect of this age group.
- Explores the policy and legal framework, fiscal space and the role and obligations of key stakeholders, including the state, private sector, civil society, media and the family.
- Highlights key recommendations and action points that can help to improve the ecosystem for early childhood care and development.
In offering a solutions-oriented critique of government policies and systems, the primary aim of this Report discussing the situation of the young child in India is to suggest a way forward in terms of approaches, policy parameters, legislation, programmatic interventions and investment of human, technical and financial resources.
With our support, this research report was produced by Mobile Creches: a pioneering organisation in early childhood development, working for the rights of marginalised children in India and spanning grassroots interventions to national advocacy efforts.
