National Creche Scheme
In order to provide convenience to working mothers so that they can worry about their children and focus on their work, the scheme has been launched by the National Crèche Scheme which provides care to children in the age group of 06 months to 06 years.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
National Creche Scheme
13 MAR 2020
National Creche Scheme (earlier named as Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme) is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/UTs with effect from 1.1.2017 to provide day care facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers. The salient features of the National Creche Scheme are as follows:
- Daycare Facilities including Sleeping Facilities.
- Early Stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school Education for 3 to 6 years old children.
- Supplementary Nutrition ( to be locally sourced)
- Growth Monitoring
- Health Check-up and Immunization
Further, the guidelines provide that :
- Crèches shall be open for 26 days in a month and for seven and half (7-1/2) hours per day.
- The number of children in the crèche should not be more than 25 per crèche with 01 Worker and 01 helper respectively.
- User charges to bring in an element of community ownership and collected as under:
a. BPL families – Rs 20/- per child per month.
b. Families with Income (Both Parents) of upto Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 100/- per child per month
c. Families with Income (Both Parents) of above Rs. 12,000/- per month – Rs. 200/- per child per month.
As on 11.03.2020, 6453 creches are functional across the country under the National Creche Scheme.
Grants have been released to the State Governments/UT Administration for crèches found functional and taken over by them.
As on date, the Government of Kerala has taken over 479 creches under the erstwhile RGNCS and running under National Creche Scheme.
Regular and strict monitoring is conducted at different levels to ensure effective running of the Scheme and also to ensure that the beneficiaries are delivered services as envisaged in the Scheme. Monitoring of implementation of the scheme is being undertaken through meetings and video conferences with the officials of State Governments/ UT. Ministry officials undertake field visits to ascertain the status of implementation of the scheme. NITI Aayog conducts the third party evaluation.
This information was given by the Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.