Lucknow: Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government is making continuous efforts to integrate children with disabilities into mainstream education from an early age and prepare them for school education. As part of this initiative, Bachpan Day Care Centres are being operated across the state for children with disabilities in the 3-7 age group. These centres focus on developing children's learning abilities, providing educational support tailored to their specific needs and promoting their holistic development.
At present, 25 Bachpan Day Care Centres are operational across the state, with a combined capacity of 1,490 children. A total of 1,463 children are enrolled, representing approximately 98 per cent of the centres' total capacity. Taking a significant step towards expanding the initiative, the state government has approved the establishment of 28 new Bachpan Day Care Centres in the remaining districts during the financial year 2026-27. This will help extend early education and essential support services to a larger number of children with disabilities.
Bachpan Day Care Centres are currently operational in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Jhansi, Bareilly, Agra, Saharanpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad, Basti, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Kanpur Nagar, Ayodhya, Gonda and Gorakhpur.
In addition, centres have also started operating in seven aspirational districts: Chandauli, Siddharthnagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Fatehpur, Balrampur and Sonbhadra. The approval to establish 28 new centres in the remaining districts during the financial year 2026-27 will further expand the initiative.
The children enrolled at Bachpan Day Care Centres include 465 children with hearing impairments, 342 with visual impairments, 520 with intellectual disabilities and 136 with learning disabilities.
The centres aim to provide a learning environment suited to children's individual needs, offer opportunities to develop communication and social skills, and prepare them for further education.
Special attention is also being given to improving the quality of services and operational systems at Bachpan Day Care Centres. As part of these efforts, the centres have received ISO certification for quality management and operational systems. This will encourage continuous improvements in service delivery and management in accordance with prescribed standards.
Dr Amit Kumar Rai, Deputy Director of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, said, "The state government is committed to connecting children with disabilities to education from an early age and ensuring their holistic development. Through Bachpan Day Care Centres, children aged 3-7 years are being prepared for pre-school education. The enrolment of 1,463 children across the state's 25 centres reflects the importance of this initiative. Approval for 28 new centres in the remaining districts during the financial year 2026-27 will help provide early education and essential support to more children."
The Uttar Pradesh government aims to provide children with disabilities educational opportunities suited to their abilities and integrate them into mainstream education with confidence, thereby laying a strong foundation for a brighter future.
