A new partnership between the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission (MECDM) and the Social Service Centre (SSC) aims to expand early childhood care practices across 47 parishes under the Archdiocese of Shillong, targeting families at the grassroots level.

The agreement, signed at Bianchi Hall in Laitumkhrah, brings faith-based networks into the state’s strategy to address child nutrition and development gaps. Parish priests, church representatives and government officials attended the event, where resource materials on early childhood development were distributed to support outreach within communities.

The two-year initiative, titled Growing Tomorrow: Early Child Development Program, will operate through parish structures, youth and family groups, and local associations. It seeks to promote awareness around the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, a critical phase for physical and cognitive development.

Officials said the programme will focus on breastfeeding practices, improved nutrition, parental engagement and early learning, while also integrating child development themes into pre-marital counselling sessions conducted by the Church.

Meghalaya continues to report high levels of child stunting, with 46.5 per cent of children under five affected, significantly above the national average. The collaboration is expected to widen the reach of government interventions by using existing religious and community platforms.

Speaking at the launch, MECDM chief executive Sampath Kumar said early childhood development “is not only the subject of government — it is the subject of society and the church,” adding that small behavioural changes at the family level can have long-term impact.

SSC director Teiborlang Lyngdoh echoed the need for community responsibility, noting, “Children are like wet cement — whatever falls on them makes an impression.”

Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh described the initiative as a step aligned with the Church’s long-standing emphasis on child welfare, stating that “every child is a gift” and deserves care from the earliest stages of life.

Programme officials indicated that implementation will span village, school and parish levels, with a potential outreach to more than 1,000 villages through the Church’s network.

The partnership marks an expansion of MECDM’s efforts to involve civil society and faith-based groups in tackling early childhood challenges across the state.