PALNA SCHEME – GOVERNMENT SCHEME
News: Government
aims to set up 17,000creches across the country
What's in the news?
● The
Union Women and Child Development Ministry aims to establish 17,000creches in
Anganwadi Centres across the country.
Palna Scheme:
● Erstwhile
National Creche Scheme has been reorganized and renamed as Palna Scheme under
the sub scheme ‘Samarthya’ of ‘Mission
Shakti’.
● It
is a centrally sponsored scheme.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Women and
Child Development.
Objectives:
● To
address the urgent need for quality day-care facilities/creches for the
children of working women.
● Quality crèche care
facility by providing a safe and secure
environment for children.
● To
support nutritional, health and cognitive development of children.
● Enable
mothers to take up gainful employment.
Funding Pattern:
● A
funding ratio of 60:40 between
central government and state government.
Types of Creches under the Scheme:
1. Anganwadi-cum-Crèches:
● These
centers combine existing Anganwadi services with dedicated crèche facilities.
● This
approach aims to holistically address the needs of both mothers and children in
one convenient location.
2. Stand-alone creches:
● The
crèches which were running under the erstwhile National Creche Scheme have been
included as Stand Alone Creches.
Key Beneficiaries:
● The
scheme focuses on children of 6 months
to 6 years and working women in rural and urban areas who are employed for
a minimum period of 15 days in a month, or six months in a year.
Key Services:
● Sleeping
facility.
● Early
stimulation for children below 3 years of age.
● Pre-school
education for children between the ages of 3 to 6 years.
● Supplementary
nutrition (to be locally sourced).
● Growth
Monitoring, health check ups and immunization in convergence with POSHAN 2.0.
Go back to basics:
Creche:
● A
crèche is a facility which enables parents
to leave their children while they are at work and where children are
provided a stimulating environment for their holistic development.