Giving Children the Best Start in Life: Resources, Experiences, and Lessons Learned from USAID Advancing Nutrition’s Work Integrating Nutrition, Responsive Care, and Early Learning

Children who receive a combination of feeding and care interventions have improved development outcomes. In the global push toward Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger), 3 (good health and well-being), and 4.2 (early childhood development), momentum is growing for integrating key components of the multi-sectoral Nurturing Care Framework, such as responsive care and early learning (RCEL), with nutrition programming through primary health care and community platforms. Integration will provide a more holistic approach to address children’s needs and may drive caregiver demand for and uptake of primary health care services. USAID Advancing Nutrition piloted an innovative counseling package - the RCEL Addendum to supplement infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counseling in Northern Ghana and the Kyrgyz Republic. This webinar shared why and how the RCEL Addendum was developed and the results and lessons learned from implementation in Ghana and the Kyrgyz Republic. The webinar also highlighted a new package - the Ages and Stages Reference Package and Online Toolkit which builds upon the RCEL Addendum and UNICEF’s Community Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling Package to help implementers design and implement more holistic and integrated programming. The Ages and Stages Reference Package focuses on the need to provide integrated nutrition and care programming that is specific to a child’s age and developmental stage, particularly during the first two years of life when a child’s brain is growing most rapidly.  Watch to learn more about how programs can use these resources to provide more integrated and holistic care for young children, helping them to reach their full potential.