Anganwadi Services in AP are the village centres where mothers and young children get food, health care and early learning. Every village has an Anganwadi, and for many families it is the first place to go when a child is born, when a mother is pregnant, or when a child needs food and care. This guide explains Anganwadi Services in AP: Poshan nutrition, preschool education, and health for mothers and children.
Anganwadi Services in AP at a Glance
| Point | What to know |
|---|---|
| What it is | Village centres for nutrition, preschool and health (ICDS / POSHAN) |
| For | Children 6 months–6 years, pregnant and lactating mothers |
| Services | Supplementary nutrition, preschool education, health check-ups, referral |
| Run by | Women and Child Development Department, through local Anganwadis |
| Cost | Free for eligible mothers and children |
Anganwadi Services in AP: What They Are
Anganwadi Services in AP are the state-level delivery of the national Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, now part of POSHAN Abhiyaan. An Anganwadi is a village centre run by an Anganwadi Worker and a Helper, under the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department. It serves the children and mothers of the village — and in towns, the children and mothers of the ward.
The Anganwadi does three things: it gives supplementary nutrition, it gives pre-school education, and it looks after the health of mothers and children. It is the only government service that reaches a child from the age of six months, and a mother from the start of her pregnancy. For a family with a young child, the Anganwadi is the most important building in the village after the school.
Poshan Nutrition: Supplementary Food
The best-known of the Anganwadi Services in AP is supplementary nutrition. Under POSHAN, the Anganwadi gives food to children aged six months to six years, and to pregnant and lactating mothers. The food is meant to supplement what the family eats at home, not to replace it, and it is given on the days the centre is open.
The nutrition is given as a hot cooked meal or as take-home rations, depending on the age of the child and the local arrangement. Children who are underweight or malnourished are given extra attention, and their growth is monitored — weighed and measured regularly — so that the Anganwadi Worker can see whether the child is improving. Mothers are also given nutrition advice, so that the family can eat better at home. The Ministry of Women and Child Development publishes the national programme details, and the ICDS portal carries the scheme’s guidelines.
Preschool Education for 3–6 Year Olds
Anganwadi Services in AP also give pre-school education to children aged three to six. The Anganwadi is the child’s first school: the Worker teaches songs, stories, numbers and letters through play, and the child learns to sit with other children, to listen and to speak. This early learning matters, because a child who has been to the Anganwadi starts school ready to learn.
The pre-school is informal — there are no exams and no fees — but it is regular, and the Worker keeps a record of the child’s progress. Parents should send their children to the Anganwadi every day it is open, and should ask the Worker what the child is learning. Our guide to Balika Raksha explains the scheme for the girl child, and Mission Vatsalya Scheme 2026 explains the wider child protection programme.
Health Check-Ups and Referral
The third part of Anganwadi Services in AP is health. The Anganwadi Worker weighs and measures the children, watches for signs of illness and malnutrition, and refers sick children and mothers to the health centre. Pregnant mothers are registered, given check-ups and tetanus injections through the health system, and advised on diet and rest.
The Anganwadi also helps with immunisation: the Worker keeps the list of children due for vaccination, and works with the health worker to make sure no child misses a dose. The health check-ups at the Anganwadi are the reason many problems are caught early, before they become serious. Our guide to Mission Indradhanassu Scheme 2026 explains the immunisation drive, and NTR Baby Kit Scheme 2025 explains the kit given to newborns.
Who Can Use the Anganwadi and How to Enrol
Anganwadi Services in AP are for the children and mothers of the village or ward. Children from six months to six years can be enrolled for nutrition and, from three years, for pre-school. Pregnant women and lactating mothers can be enrolled for nutrition and health services. Enrolment is done at the Anganwadi itself: the mother goes to the centre with the child’s birth certificate or Aadhaar, and the Worker registers the child.
There is no fee and no income test for the basic Anganwadi services — the centre serves the children and mothers of its area. If a family is new to the village, they should go to the Anganwadi and register, so that the child is on the list for nutrition and immunisation. The AP government portal lists the services available at Sachivalayams, and Mission Shakti in Andhra Pradesh explains the wider programme for women and children.
The Anganwadi Worker and Helper
The Anganwadi is run by two people: the Anganwadi Worker and the Helper. The Worker is a local woman, trained by the department, who runs the centre — the food, the pre-school, the weighing and the records. The Helper cooks, cleans and assists with the children. Both are known to every family in the village, and both can be approached with questions about a child’s food, health or learning.
If the Anganwadi is not open, or the food is not given, or a child is not enrolled, the mother should ask the Worker first, and then the supervisor or the Child Development Project Officer. If the problem is not solved, a grievance can be raised — our guide on raising a grievance on the NBM portal explains the route.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Anganwadi Services in AP?
They are the village centres under ICDS/POSHAN that give supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, health check-ups and referral to children aged six months to six years and to pregnant and lactating mothers.
Who can use the Anganwadi?
Children from six months to six years, and pregnant and lactating mothers in the village or ward. Enrolment is at the Anganwadi itself, with the child’s birth certificate or Aadhaar.
Is there a fee for Anganwadi Services in AP?
No. The basic Anganwadi services — nutrition, pre-school and health check-ups — are free for eligible mothers and children.
What food does the Anganwadi give?
Supplementary nutrition, as a hot cooked meal or take-home rations, for children and for pregnant and lactating mothers, under the POSHAN programme.
What does the Anganwadi do for health?
It weighs and measures children, watches for illness and malnutrition, refers sick children and mothers to the health centre, and helps with immunisation.
Anganwadi Services in AP are the village’s first line of care for mothers and young children. Enrol your child, send them every day, and talk to the Anganwadi Worker — the food, the learning and the health checks are free, and they are the foundation of the child’s future.
Last updated: November 2026
The Six Services Every Anganwadi Provides
Every Anganwadi in AP provides six services: supplementary nutrition, pre-school education, immunisation, health check-ups, growth monitoring, and nutrition and health education. The food depends on age: children aged six months to three years get take-home rations, children aged three to six get a hot cooked meal at the centre, and pregnant and lactating mothers get take-home rations. The Worker weighs and measures every child and records the result on a growth card, so a child who is not growing well is noticed early. Under Poshan Abhiyaan, which aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition and anaemia, the centre also observes Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) every September, with special activities on nutrition. Once a child joins school, the midday meal takes over the nutrition support — our guide to Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal explains that next step.
How to Enrol: Step by Step
Enrolment takes one visit. Find the centre first — ask at your Village or Ward Secretariat, where the welfare assistant can give its location and the Worker’s name, or ask the ASHA worker or ANM. Then visit with the child’s birth certificate or Aadhaar card if you have one; if you do not have Aadhaar, the child can still join, because Aadhaar is not a condition for enrolment. The Worker registers the child and the mother, weighs the child and starts the growth card, and the child can then attend daily. Pregnant and lactating mothers register at the same visit to receive take-home rations. To find the nearest centre, you can also contact the ICDS project office, or check the Women Development and Child Welfare Department’s website (wdcw.ap.gov.in), the Ministry of Women and Child Development (wcd.nic.in) or AP’s portal (ap.gov.in).
All children from birth to six years are entitled to the Anganwadi, and so are pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls in some components. There is no income limit and no caste condition for the basic services.
Anganwadi Worker Honorarium and Recruitment
The Anganwadi Worker leads the centre and the Helper cooks the food and keeps the centre clean. The central share of the honorarium is Rs 4,500 a month for the Worker and Rs 2,250 a month for the Helper, and the state adds its own top-up on top of that — check the department for the current total in AP. New Workers are recruited through district notifications issued by the department, sometimes through the District Collector or the ICDS project office. There is no single online portal for this recruitment; applications are submitted at the ICDS project office, and they are notified in the same district channels used for other local recruitment.
If Something Goes Wrong at Your Anganwadi
If the Anganwadi has a problem, there is a route for every case. If the centre is closed or the Worker is absent, report it to your Village or Ward Secretariat or the ICDS project office. If food or rations are not given, talk to the Worker first, then the supervisor or ICDS project office if nothing changes. If the child has not been weighed, ask the Worker to weigh the child and update the growth card. If there is no centre in your habitation, raise a request through the secretariat, because new centres are sanctioned by the department on the basis of population and distance. And if the immunisation session is missed, ask the Worker for the next session date, or take the child to the health sub-centre. The grievance route through the NBM portal, described above, applies to all of these.
More Questions About Anganwadi Services
Can my child join Anganwadi without Aadhaar?
Yes. Aadhaar is not required to enrol a child in an Anganwadi. If you do not have the child’s Aadhaar, take the birth certificate if you have one; the Worker can register the child either way.
How do I become an Anganwadi Worker?
Watch for the district notification from the Women Development and Child Welfare Department and apply at the ICDS project office. There is no single online portal; in practice, notices are released at the district level and applications are submitted in the local ICDS project office.