Program Design

Community Centre

Our creches are centred within the communities they operate in and run by women from the community they serve. Communities are involved from inception—including the first conversations with gram sabha members on the design of these creches and seeking their involvement in shortlisting and selecting creche caregivers. Mothers are encouraged to treat the creche as their space, and they are encouraged to spend time in the creche—not just to ensure continued breastfeeding, but also to participate in creche activities.

Working hours relevant to the community

Our creches are open six days a week. However, working hours are not rigid but designed to be flexible to meet the needs of the community, weather and other constraints. In peak summers, creches may open at 6:30AM and close before noon. Similarly, seasonal work requirements (for instance—picking forest produce) will require that creches operate during the hours that make the most sense for communities. These are determined in consultation with mothers and community members.

Three hot cooked meals and an egg

All children attending our creches are provided three hot cooked meals and an egg every day. Eggs have been demonstrated in multiple studies to deliver complete protein with optimal amino acids for rapid muscle repair in malnourished children. The nutritional component of the three hot-cooked meals have been carefully designed to support the dietary needs of children in these contexts and geographies. More details of the nutritional design can be found here.

Creche Resourcing

Each creche is operated by two caregivers, selected from the village the creche is situated in. They are responsible for running the creche, taking care of the children, engaging them in song and play, keeping the space clean and safe, preparing meals and ensuring children eat.

There is a creche supervisor for every 10 creches. Supervisors play a full-time field role and are on the move between creches every day. Their role is to ensure the creche caregivers have the organizational support they need, that creches are well stocked with groceries, and that any other procurements necessary for the smooth functioning of the creche. They are also expected to support caregivers with community engagement, visit homes to counsel mothers of malnourished/sick children, and meet with parents regularly.

Partners running these creches also appoint a dedicated safety officer who is responsible for safety audits and making sure creches operate against a detailed safety checklist. Other roles involved in the creche program include cluster coordinators (responsible for 4-5 supervisors), accounts and logistics managers and capacity building managers.

Detailed roles and responsibilities may be found here

Safety

Safety protocols are central to creche operations. We insist on a dedicated safety manager and have developed detailed safety checklists that every creche must adhere to. Safety managers are responsible for assessing each individual creche against these requirements and ensuring adherence. No detail—however minor—must be ignored. This includes the strength of the barricade between the creche area and the kitchen, the steepness of the steps leading to the creche, fencing around the exterior of the creche, training creche workers on the use of fire extinguishers (which are part of the creche setup), and many other aspects.

Growth Monitoring

The program attempts to track the weight of all enrolled children every month and their height every three months. Creche supervisors are trained to meticulously record these details using carefully designed protocols and equipment. All data is stored in a mobile application that provides immediate insights into the nutrition status of children (growth faltering, wasting, stunting and underweight), growth charts, and shifts in nutritional status for a given child, creche or the broader program. Supervisors and caregivers are also trained on detailed protocols for supplementary nutrition, referrals and follow-up.

Phases of Creche Operations

Pre-Setup Phase	Set up Phase	Operational Phase
Recruitment Process Team Onboarding and Orientation Meeting Functionaries Procuring ICDS Data Planning for the community interventions	Identification of Villages based on the ICDS data Meeting Stakeholders in the villages including PRI, ASHA, AWW, SHGs, etc. Conducting Gram Sabhas Identification of space for the Creche Line Listing Caregivers’ Selection Getting the Space Ready Vendor Identification Caregivers’ Pre-Service Training Procurement of Creche Materials Setting up the Creche for operations	Enrolment and measurements of children Extending necessary support to the caregivers Regular Visits by each cadre, demonstrations and handhold Regular documentations including Attendance, Child Cards, Collaterals and Shishu Ghar App Weekly Team’s Review meeting and capacity building Monthly Caregivers Review Meetings Monthly CMC Meetings Growth Monitoring and Referrals Regular Activities at the centers Ensuring proper feeding including SNC and sleeping protocols
0–2 months	2–4 months	4 months onwards