Early Childhood Care & Development

Building strong foundations for every child
Overview
Early childhood is a crucial period for a child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. Yet children from low-income, migrant and underserved communities can face limited access to structured early learning, adequate nutrition, healthcare and safe spaces for development. Through its partnership with Deepalaya, Project Rise is working to bridge these gaps by creating centres that bring early education, nutrition, health, developmental support and parental engagement together under one roof.
The first Early Childhood Care & Development Centre was launched in Sanjay Colony, New Delhi, in December 2022, and has supported children from vulnerable communities with access to education, nutrition and healthcare. Building on this experience, the initiative has now expanded to Moraiya village near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, bringing the same holistic approach to children from low-income and migrant families.
Project Details

Early Childhood Care & Development Centre - Sanjay Colony, New Delhi

At the same time, women from rural and peri-urban communities continue to face barriers to dignified livelihood opportunities.

This project bridges both needs by providing structured training, certification, employment pathways, and financial independence to women who often lack such opportunities. Through the POWER Centre, we aim to strengthen both women’s economic resilience and community healthcare capacity.

SITE:

  • Location: Sanjay Colony, New Delhi
  • Partner: Deepalaya
  • Launched: December 2022
  • Age group: 2–6 years
  • Status: Ongoing
Key Interventions
  • Early childhood education: Functional literacy, early learning, motor-skill development and school-readiness activities.
  • Nutrition support: Nutritious meals to address nutritional gaps among young children.
  • Health and hygiene: Basic health support, hygiene practices and sanitation awareness.
  • Safe learning environment: A supervised space for children whose parents work as daily-wage labourers and may have limited time or resources for childcare.
  • Inclusive access: The centre serves children from the surrounding community irrespective of religion or background.
  • Parental engagement: Awareness and engagement with parents around children’s education, health and nutrition.
The centre enrolled 54 children in its first batch and was designed to support approximately 100 children each year.
Why This Project Matters
  • Early childhood (ages 0–6) is a critical period for cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. Many studies have shown that deprivation in this phase, be it through lack of nutrition, early stimulation or safe learning environments, can have lifelong negative impacts.

  • Slum communities, especially those composed of migrant or daily-wage families, often lack access to formal preschool or childcare. This project bridges that gap by giving children a fair start and reducing inequality in early learning opportunities.

  • By combining education with nutrition and health support, the Centre adopts a holistic model by addressing multiple deprivation factors together rather than in isolation.

Early Childhood Development Care & Education Centre (ECDCE) - Moraiya, Ahmedabad

Why Moraiya?
Moraiya, near Ahmedabad, is home to many low-income migrant families working in nearby industrial areas. Frequent migration and limited access to preschool education can disrupt children’s early learning and development.
 
The project identifies the gaps in foundational literacy, numeracy, social skills, nutrition and school readiness, while also highlighting limited access to dedicated early childhood facilities.

SITE:

  • Location: Moraiya village, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat
  • Partner: Deepalaya
  • Target group: Children aged 3–6 years from low-income and migrant families
  • Duration: 3 years
  • Annual target: 120 children, predominantly girls
  • Status: Ongoing
Key Interventions
  • Early Learning: Play-based activities develop literacy, numeracy, motor, social and life skills for school readiness.
  • Nutrition & Health: Nutritious meals, health monitoring and hygiene education support children's overall well-being.
  • Development Monitoring: Regular assessments track children's physical, cognitive, social and emotional development.
  • Parent Engagement: Workshops help parents strengthen their understanding of early childhood education, health and nutrition.
  • Inclusive & Stable Learning: The centre provides accessible learning opportunities, particularly for girls and children from migrant and low-income families.
Impact so far - Moraiya, Ahmedabad
  • 88 children enrolled as of June 2026, up from 58 children in the first quarter of the project, with all enrolled children attending classes regularly.
  • 40 girls and 48 boys are currently enrolled, with a continued focus on increasing girls' participation.
  • Daily nutrition support is provided through fruits, Chana Sattu, special diet mixes and other healthy food options, alongside growth monitoring through BMI assessments.
  • 66 children underwent baseline BMI assessment. The assessment identified 18 children (27%) with normal BMI, 8 (12%) underweight and 6 (9%) severely underweight, highlighting the importance of continued nutrition monitoring and targeted support.
  • Thrice-a-year developmental assessments track six areas: physical development, intellectual growth, language, social and emotional well-being, creativity, and health and hygiene.
What We Do Across Our ECCD Centres

Then combine the common interventions:

    • Early childhood education and play-based learning
    • Foundational literacy and numeracy
    • School-readiness and developmental activities
    • Nutritious meals and nutritional monitoring
    • Health, hygiene and sanitation awareness
    • Developmental milestone monitoring
    • Parent education and engagement
    • Safe and inclusive learning environments
    • Community participation and volunteer engagement

Growing the ECCD Model

Going forward, the focus will be on strengthening the centres, monitoring children's developmental and educational progress, engaging families and exploring opportunities to extend the model to other communities where young children face similar barriers to early learning and development.

Voices from the Ground
Dr George John, CEO of Deepalaya
Business Standard+1
Hatim Badri (Representative of the Bohra community in New Delhi) stated
Dr Adarsh Sharma (Former Director, National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development) praised the initiative
Hatim Badri (Representative of the Bohra community in New Delhi) stated:

He emphasised support for disadvantaged parents who struggle with time, resources and nurturing care at home. Free Press Journal+1
How the Project Aligns with Project Rise’s Vision
Project Rise—originally launched to tackle hunger and malnutrition—has grown into a global philanthropic initiative addressing education, health, nutrition, water & sanitation, environment, and community development. thedawoodibohras.com+1

This ECCD Centre represents Project Rise’s commitment to early childhood development, equitable access to education, and holistic upliftment of underprivileged communities.
What’s Next & Future Vision

Stabilise Annual Intake

Maintain a steady intake of ~100 underprivileged children per year, with continuous monitoring of child growth, health, and readiness for formal schooling.

Scale-up & Replicate

Based on impact, consider replicating this model in other slum clusters across metro-cities or other states — expanding reach to more vulnerable children.

Parental & Community Engagement

Conduct awareness sessions for parents on nutrition, hygiene, early childhood health, and importance of education — fostering community ownership.

Monitoring & Impact Assessment

Track child development metrics, school-readiness, health outcomes, and long-term educational retention to measure impact and improve programme delivery.
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