(a) the number of those women working in the unorganised sectors of the country particularly in the backward areas for whom the facility of childcare homes is available as on date;
(b) whether there is any proposal to convert Anganwadi Centres into day care cum creches; and
(c) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard ?
MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI)
(a) The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for Children of Working Mothers which was launched w.e.f. 1st January 2006 to provide day care facilities to children (age group of 0-6 years) of working and other deserving women belonging to families whose monthly income is not more than Rs. 12,000/-. The Scheme provides supplementary nutrition, health care inputs like immunization, polio drops, basic health monitoring, pre-school education (03-06), emergency medicine and contingencies.
There are a total of 23588 crèches under the RGNCS through out the country covering about 589700 lakh children. Out of these creches, 15138 crèches covering about 378450 lakh children are in rural areas.
(b) & (c): Yes. Under the restructured and strengthened ICDS Scheme, 5% of the existing Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) have been approved for conversion as AWC-cum-Crèche. States/UTs will have the flexibility in choosing such AWCs. This has been done with an objective to take care of development of children in the age group of 0-6 years, whose mothers go out for work and there is no adult to look after the children in her absence. AWC-cum- Creches are approved on the basis of demand projected by States in their APIP.
States/UTs have choice for engaging non-governmental organizations in implementing the proposed pilot project model of opening AWC-cum-Creche. If the State intends to implement the model on its own, it may explore the engagement of non-governmental organizations with expertise in the provision of crèche facilities.
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