Pathanamthitta: With the severe heat making it difficult for children to attend anganwadis, steps must be taken to ensure they receive milk and eggs at home. Anganwadi teachers have been directed to visit children’s homes and explain to parents the method and quantity of providing milk and eggs. ICDS officers have also been instructed to oversee this.

The directive comes from the Department of Women and Child Development, issued to anganwadi workers and ICDS officials. Anganwadi teachers are commonly referred to as anganwadi workers.

Parents should not be forced to send children to anganwadis. However, those who attend voluntarily must continue to receive existing pre-school education and nutrition. Milk and eggs should be supplied to homes through the anganwadi system.

Each child should receive half a litre of packet milk per week, calculated as 125 ml per day. Any leftover milk should be converted into curd and given to the child. In anganwadis, leftover milk from one day is turned into curd for the next day, often served as a salad with meals like rice or biryani.

Government must issue directive to parents and anganwadi workers to follow the same practice. Three eggs should be provided per week, given on alternate days as done in anganwadis.

Milk and eggs are provided under the “Poshaka Balyam” scheme. However, the order does not mention guidance on alternative nutritious foods like ragi, sesame, Bengal gram, and jaggery, which are usually given on days without milk and eggs.

To prevent dehydration, anganwadi workers must also ensure through home visits that children are drinking safe, boiled and cooled water, rice gruel water, and buttermilk. The same guidelines apply to creches as well.