National Creche Government Scheme For Moms: Eligibility, Application & Benefits

A woman is always expected to prioritise her children and put themselves last. No wonder why a lot of women give up their careers and don't return to the workforce after having a child. Resuming work after having a baby is challenging to say the least for a mother. However, with the right support, women can consider continuing their job and prevent their career from getting stalled. Creches provide the same support by offering a safe space for children to be while their mothers are at work.

The National Creche Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Women & Child Development to provide help to working mothers. The scheme offers day care facilities for children between the age of six months to six years. The objectives of the scheme include promoting their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development, improving their nutrition and health status and educating and empowering parents for better childcare.

What Are The Facilities Provided Under National Creche Scheme?

• Sleeping facility for children
• Early stimulation for children below three years of age
• Pre-school education for children between the age of three to six years
• Locally sourced supplementary nutrition for children
• Growth monitoring
• Health check-ups and immunisation
• Drinking water
• Sanitary facilities

What Are Creche Charges Under The Scheme?

Creche charges under the scheme are defined as per the income of the parents/caregivers.

• For families below poverty line (BPL) - ₹20 per child per month
• For families with income of up to ₹12000 per month (both parents working) - ₹100 per child per month
• For families with income of above ₹12000 per month - ₹200 per child per month

What Is The Eligibility Of The National Creche Scheme?

The scheme is available for children between the age of six months to six years of working women in both rural and urban areas. Working women employed for a minimum period of 15 days in a month or six months in a year are eligible to apply for the scheme as well.

What Are The Creche Timings Under The Scheme?

Under the scheme, creches remain open for 26 days a month for seven and a half hours per day according to the work schedule of the majority of working mothers in the area. These may vary from 7.00 am to 2.30 pm, 8.00 am to 3.30 pm, or 9.00 am to 4.30 pm. Special arrangements for mothers working for longer hours can be done with an extra payment for the additional time at reasonable charges and on mutual agreement.

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How To Apply For National Creche Scheme?

There are multiple creches running under the National Creche Scheme. These are run by NGOs registered under the state government/district administration where working mothers can register. According to an annexure of Lok Sabha, there is a list of creches across the country under the scheme. Assam has the maximum number of creches listed with 616 number of creches. Some states/UTs have no creche facility and these include Lakshadweep, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Dadra Daman and Diu, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Andama and Nicobar Islands.

Is There Any Update On National Creche Scheme?

During the pandemic, a lot of states/UTs informed that creches that were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic are re-opening. Last year, in the month of December, under the newly approved Mission Shakti, the National Creche Scheme has been revised and subsumed as Palna scheme to provide daycare facilities to children of working mothers with the aim to improve nutrition and health status of children.