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Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) are the most common and publicly available facilities, initially constituted in 1975 to strengthen the public health system by providing immunization and health check-ups, and later to provide supplementary nutrition non-formal pre-school education and day-care.
The two key elements of early childhood development include education and health. A child's early years (0 to 8 years) form the foundation of all learning and are therefore the most extraordinary period of development in a child's life. Research has shown that greater cognitive abilities and being developmentally on track with literacy and numeracy in childhood provide for better learning in school and higher educational attainment, leading to major social and economic gains for society in the long run. Similarly, providing children with a muturing environment in early years, with adequate nutrition, hygiene, protection and responsive stimulation, boosts healthy childhood development and delivers positive outcomes.