National Creche Scheme in India: Empowering Working Parents

A creche, often known as a corporate daycare or childcare center, is a structured setting that provides a secure and caring environment for young children during the day. Creche facilities are essential in providing childcare services, allowing working parents to combine their professional commitments with their children's care and development.

The government of India established the National Creche Scheme (NCS) to recognize the importance of supporting working parents and ensuring the welfare of young children. The NCS is a welfare initiative that provides high-quality childcare services for children aged six months to six years, including healthcare, nutrition, and early childhood education, primarily to working mothers.

Let us look into the specifics of this creche scheme and how it empowers women throughout India.

Need for a Comprehensive Creche Program in India

In India, an all-encompassing childcare program is critical for meeting various social, economic, and developmental needs. This program provides a multifaceted solution by meeting the needs of working parents, promoting early childhood development, advancing women's empowerment, and aligning with larger societal and economic goals. Its effective implementation is critical for shaping a more inclusive and equitable society, with a particular emphasis on improving women's status in India.

Objectives of the National Creche Scheme

The National Creche Scheme (NCS) in India is designed with specific objectives to address the childcare needs of working mothers and contribute to young children’s development. Here are the key objectives of the National Creche Scheme:

• To promote women's workforce participation
• To educate parents and caregivers on how to provide better childcare
• To ensure early childhood development with learning experience
• To provide balanced nutrition and health check-ups for children
• To promote early childhood education by providing age-appropriate educational activities to children
• To provide a safe and supportive environment for children, addressing their physical, emotional, and cognitive needs
• To promote the overall well-being of families by addressing the childcare needs of working parents

Key Features of the National Creche Scheme

• Daycare services and physical infrastructures

  Creches facilities with daycare services where mothers can breastfeed their babies, parents can be contacted in case of emergency, etc. These facilities are suitable for children and provide a safe and protective environment.

• Age group

  The NCS supports children from six months to six years old, acknowledging the vital early years of development. They provide early stimulation for toddlers under the age of three and preschool instruction for children aged three to six.

• Balanced nutrition

  The NCS emphasizes providing balanced nutrition to children attending creches. Thus the food for the kids is nutritionally adequate. They provide three meals i.e. one-morning snack/breakfast, one-noon meal (hot cooked), and one afternoon snack to kids aged 3 to 6 years while milk is provided to small children if necessary.

• Growth monitoring

  The new WHO child growth criteria are used to measure children's nutritional status in this scheme. Children's growth is constantly observed and documented in distinct growth charts for boys and girls, which the worker maintains following the new WHO child growth guidelines.

• Health check-up, medicine & first aid kit

  Regular health check-ups are conducted to monitor and promote the well-being of the children thanks to NCS. A qualified medical practitioner/doctors from Government Hospitals conduct the health check-up on all children enrolled in the crèche at least once per quarter. The center also has an essential First Aid and medicine Kit with pediatric drugs for common diseases and injuries.

Benefits of the National Creche Scheme for Working Parents

The National Creche Scheme (NCS) in India offers several benefits for working parents. Listed below are the various benefits:

• Facilitates Workforce Participation- It helps working moms to participate more actively in the workforce without jeopardizing their children's care and well-being.
• Supports Work-Life Balance- It helps working mothers balance work and family duties by offering children a dependable and safe environment during working hours.
• Promotes Economic Empowerment- It economically empowers women by encouraging their participation in economic activities, adding to family income and financial independence.
• Ensures their Child's Safety and Security- It provides a secure and supervised environment for children, ensuring their safety and protection during the day.
• Affordable Childcare Services- The scheme provides financial assistance, making creche services more affordable for working mothers, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Reduces Parental Stress- It relieves working mothers' stress and worry by offering a dependable and helpful childcare alternative during working hours.
• Enhances Productivity- Knowing that their children are being cared for in a nearby creche boosts working mothers' productivity and attention.
• Fosters Gender Equality- It promotes gender equality by allowing women to remain in labor disrupting established gender stereotypes.

Empowering Working Parents with Sunshine’s Creche Facilities

Being a woman and a working parent can be quite difficult. However, the National Creche Scheme (NCS) has brought various changes and has supported working parents. Sunshine Preschool and Corporate Crèche is a leading provider of corporate crèche facilities in India and we adhere to the NCS. With over 30 corporate in-house crèche facilities operational across India, we help women and working by providing convenient and accessible childcare options. Contact us today if you want to learn more about our crèche facilities.

Content Source: WCD