Mumbai: Policy decisions regarding the creche and day care centres will be taken soon and rules will be framed for operations of such institutions, women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare said here on Thursday at a meeting of the department. She also said that it will be made part of the fourth Women Policy of the state which is to be rolled out soon.
Aim to start govt and private day care centres in Mumbai
The minister had called a meeting of officials from the concerned departments of the state government as well as some NGOs to discuss the plans to start government as well as private day care centres in Mumbai. Adv Sushiben Shah, the chairperson of the state child rights commission, Rubal Agrawal, Commissioner for the integrated Child development project along with members from several NGOs were present at the occasion.
"Creche is the social need of the day. Such institutions are very necessary, not just in the urban set up but also in the rural areas, for children whose parents have to go out for jobs. Children should get a homely and secured atmosphere at such institutions. Two different types of centres can be started for children between 0 to 6 years of age and for children between 7 to 18 years of age," the minister said and added that the issue will be dealt with in detail in the forthcoming Police For Women.
Adv Shah said that finding a safe and homely creche for their children is a major issue that most of the working mothers face today. If more day care centres can be started in the rural as well as urban areas that will be very good for ensuring safe houses for the children. This shall also help increase the number of working women, she added.
The importance of creches for children
"Good creches can help the society avoid ills like malnutrition, sexual abuse, school dropouts. Hence, efforts are being made to start operating at least 8 day care centres in the 8 administrative divisions of the state before March 8," Adv Shah said, adding that these centres will be started on an experimental basis along with NGOs.
When the NGO representatives stressed the need to devise rules and regulatory mechanisms for such institutions, the minister said that rules will be devised along with monitoring mechanism and will be announced in the fourth state policy for women, which, she said will be rolled out very soon.
