CHILD RECUPERATION CENTERS

OBJECTIVES OF INC CENTERS ARE TO HELP SEVERELY MALNOURISHED CHILDREN RECOVER AND TO PROVIDE IMPROVED HOME ENVIROMENT FOR NORMAL DEVELOPMENT AFTER RECUPERATION. CENTERS, USING MANY RESOURCES SUPPLIED BY COMMUNITY, PROVIDE INTEGRAL TREATMENT PROGRAM OF ADEQUATE FEEDING, PSYCHOMOTOR STIMULATION, AFFECTION, AND EXTENSION WORK. VOLUNTEERS WORK WITH INFANTS AS WELL AS WITH FAMILY. 2-MONTH TRAINING COURSE IS PROVIDED FOR CENTER AUXILIARY WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS. PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, WITH MOST CHILDREN RECOVERING AFTER 2 MONTHS OF TREATMENT; NATIONWIDE EXPANSION TO 42 CENTERS IS PLANNED. PROJECT DEVELOPS EVALUATION SYSTEM TO DETERMINE AND IMPLEMENT COST-EFFECTIVE CHILD TREATMENT ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAM COMPONENTS. STUDIES EXAMINE FACILITIES, BACKGROUND OF PARENTS, EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS TREATMENTS AND CARETAKING METHODS, COST OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS. PROGRAM EVALUATION METHODOLOGY IS DEVELOPED, WITH MATERIALS AND SURVEYS FOR IMPLEMENTATION. METHODS ARE TESTED ON REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF MALNOURISHED CHILDREN. SYSTEM IS THEN IMPLEMENTED IN ALL CENTERS WITH PERIODIC REVIEW OF RESULTS AS FEEDBACK FOR MODIFICATION OF OPERATIONS OF OTHER CENTERS. IMPACT OF EXTENSION WORK, TRAINING METHODS FOR PARENTS, AND PROGRAM AS A WHOLE ARE EVALUATED AND RESULTS PUBLISHED. MULTIDISCIPLINARY GROUP CONTRACTED BY INC DEVELOPS EVALUATION SYSTEM. GROUP CONTAINS MEMBERS WITH EVALUATION DESIGN EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS PEDIATRICIANS, SOCIOLOGISTS, STATISTICIANS, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, NUTRITIONISTS. PROJECT DEVELOPS AND IMPLEMENTS SYSTEMATIZED TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR STAFF AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY. TRAINING IS DEVELOPED FOR 4 GROUPS CONNECTED WITH CENTER: PROFESSIONALS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, VOLUNTEERS, PARENTS OF AFFECTED CHILDREN. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION DETERMINES FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE COMMUNICATION AND TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT NUTRITION BETWEEN CENTER AND PARENTS. UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL NUTRITION AND EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP TRNG PROGRAMS WHICH ARE EVALUATED AS THEY ARE IMPLEMENTED.