Unlike ordinary cash handouts, this is not a free government giveaway. It is a carefully designed program that rewards responsible parenting. Families are supported to attend regular health check-ups, participate in nutrition sessions, and apply what they learn to raise healthy, thriving children.
Village Health Assistants: Bringing Care Home
The biggest shift is happening in villages, where nearly 230 Village Health Assistants (VHAs) are now active under the Child Nutrition and Social Protection (CNSP) project. Each VHA visits pregnant women and mothers of infants at home, giving advice on breastfeeding, feeding of pregnant women and children, hygiene, and clinic visits.
Field teams heard repeatedly that these visits are shifting attitudes and changing behavior. Mothers report eating better, attending more antenatal appointments, and feeling stronger during pregnancy. Health workers have observed babies gaining weight more consistently and families understanding the risks of harmful habits like smoking or chewing betel nut.
Child Nutrition Grant
Every participating mother or caregiver receives a Child Nutrition Grant — a small but vital financial support that helps households afford nutritious food, transport to clinics, and other essentials for child growth.
The grant is provided quarterly and is only available to those who stay committed to attending health and nutrition sessions. In this way, the project promotes shared responsibility — between government and parents — for building a healthier generation of Papua New Guineans.
How the Project Works
The CNSP is structured around three main components that work hand-in-hand to achieve lasting results:
PNG CARES
Community-Based Approach to Reduce and End Stunting
This component brings services closer to the people through community-based action. Local health facilities and outreach workers conduct nutrition awareness, growth monitoring, and early childhood health support.
It strengthens the health system so that pregnant mothers and young children have access to essential care right in their communities.
Implemented by: National Department of Health
Child Nutrition Grant
Financial Support with Accountability
This is the financial support component, which provides cash grants to families with children in their first thousand days. Parents must attend clinic visits, health checks, and counselling sessions to continue receiving support.
This ensures that the grant becomes a tool for learning and responsibility, not dependency.
This component is supported by service providers such as MiBank and Digicel PNG's Cellmoni service to ensure a cashless and more innovative approach to handling money in the community. A benefit seen through these partnerships is the enhanced learning through basic community financial literacy training and good budgeting habits for the family unit.
Implemented by: Department for Community Development and Religion
Advocacy, Coordination & Project Management
Ensuring Unified Action
This component strengthens the coordination and communication between government departments, provincial administrations, and communities.
It also funds awareness campaigns that help families understand the importance of good nutrition, positive parenting, and responsible use of the cash grants within the family unit.
Coordinated by: Department of Justice and Attorney General
Who We Are
United for a common purpose
CNSP is a partnership among government agencies, local institutions, and development partners, united under the NextGen Brand. Our diverse expertise and shared purpose ensure coordinated delivery and lasting impacts.
Project Management Unit (PMU)
The Project Management Unit (PMU) drives the day-to-day coordination, communication, and monitoring of all CNSP activities. It ensures that provincial teams, partners, and stakeholders work together to achieve measurable outcomes that promote healthier, more resilient communities and achieve the objectives of the project.
Our Partners
