Shillong, April 29: A new collaboration between the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission and the Social Service Centre aims to strengthen early childhood care practices across 47 parishes under the Archdiocese of Shillong, targeting families at the grassroots level.
The agreement was formalised at Bianchi Hall in Laitumkhrah, with parish priests, church representatives and government officials in attendance. Resource materials on early childhood development were distributed to support community-level outreach through established parish networks.
The two-year initiative, titled “Growing Tomorrow: Early Child Development Program”, will be implemented through parish structures, youth and family groups, and local associations. It seeks to raise awareness about the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, widely regarded as a critical period for physical and cognitive development.
Officials said the programme will focus on improving breastfeeding practices, nutrition, parental involvement and early learning. It will also incorporate child development themes into pre-marital counselling sessions conducted by the Church, broadening engagement with young families.
The initiative comes against the backdrop of persistent child nutrition challenges in Meghalaya, where 46.5 per cent of children under five are affected by stunting, significantly higher than the national average. Authorities believe that leveraging faith-based and community platforms will help extend the reach of existing government interventions.
At the launch, Sampath Kumar said early childhood development must be treated as a shared responsibility beyond government institutions, emphasising that behavioural changes at the household level can yield lasting outcomes. Teiborlang Lyngdoh highlighted the role of communities in shaping children’s development, while Victor Lyngdoh described the initiative as aligned with the Church’s commitment to child welfare.
Programme officials indicated that implementation will extend across villages, schools and parishes, with the potential to reach more than 1,000 villages through the Church’s network. The partnership marks a broader push by MECDM to involve civil society and faith-based institutions in addressing early childhood development challenges in the state.
