Chandigarh, Jun 26 (PTI) The Punjab government on Friday launched a new campaign aimed at promoting holistic child development through improved nutrition, early stimulation, growth monitoring, quality pre-school education and active parental participation.
Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said the initiative, ‘Little Steps, Big Development’, marks a significant step towards building a healthier, smarter and more confident generation by ensuring that every child receives quality care and learning opportunities during the most formative years of life.
Highlighting the state government’s commitment towards child welfare, Kaur said the Punjab government is dedicated to providing every child with a safe, healthy and nurturing environment.
Speaking to reporters here, she said children are Punjab’s greatest asset, and strengthening Anganwadi services will ensure that every eligible child receives quality nutrition, care and early learning opportunities.
Emphasising the importance of the first 1,000 days of life, the minister said the period comprising 270 days of pregnancy and the first 730 days after birth is the most crucial for brain development.
Proper nutrition, responsive caregiving, communication, storytelling, play and emotional bonding during this period help build strong neural connections that shape a child’s lifelong learning, health and behaviour, she said.
Under the ‘Little Steps, Big Development’ campaign, Anganwadi workers will conduct monthly home visits for children aged zero to three years, organise play-based learning activities and provide parents with age-appropriate guidance to strengthen responsive caregiving and early childhood stimulation.
Announcing another initiative, Kaur said every child from birth to three years of age across Punjab will receive a specially designed child development report card to help parents track age-appropriate developmental milestones and facilitate early identification of developmental delays.
Parents will also be provided with an illustrated guidebook containing simple, age-specific activities to promote learning and development at home, enabling timely intervention wherever required.
Sharing the achievements of ‘Mission Aarambh’, the minister said the department’s WhatsApp-based home learning initiative has successfully connected nearly 1.6 lakh parents through the participation of 26,209 anganwadi workers across all 23 districts of Punjab.
Highlighting the importance of nutrition, Kaur reiterated that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months provides complete nourishment for infants and eliminates the need for water, honey or other supplements.
After six months, complementary feeding with fresh and nutritious homemade food should begin alongside continued breastfeeding.
She encouraged parents to ensure dietary diversity and regular growth monitoring through Anganwadi centres. She also stressed the importance of accurate and timely data entry on the ‘Poshan Tracker’ for early identification and management of malnutrition.
The minister further highlighted the remarkable participation of parents in early childhood care and education initiatives.
During 2025-26, a record 15,59,994 parents participated in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Day, including 10,76,064 mothers and 4,83,930 fathers, demonstrating growing community ownership of child development. PTI CHS KSS KSS
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