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Child Care, Child Care Pictures,

Standardizing Care: India’s New Protocol for Workplace Crèches

by 9 hours agono comment
India has recently taken a significant step toward formalizing its care economy with the release
of the National Minimum Standards and Protocol for Crèches (Operation and Management)
in March 2024. Issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), this protocol
aims to standardize childcare services across sectors, ensuring that working parents—both
mothers and fathers—have access to safe and high-quality crèche facilities.

A Mandatory Requirement for CPSEs

The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has mandated that all Central Public Sector
Enterprises (CPSEs) comply with these new standards. This directive builds upon a 2009 Office
Memorandum which first made crèche facilities mandatory near workplaces to support employees
with pre-school or primary-school-going children.

By institutionalizing care services, the government aims to increase female labor force
participation while enabling employees to better balance professional and family
responsibilities.

Key Features of the 2024 Protocol

The 2024 protocol introduces a comprehensive operational framework that moves beyond basic
supervision toward a holistic rights and development approach for early childhood care.

1. Administrative and Operational Framework

  • Target Group: Children from 6 months of age onwards.
  • Mandatory Provision: Crèche facilities are mandatory in CPSEs and offices where
    employees—both male and female—have pre-school or primary-school-going children.
  • Location: Crèches should ideally be located near the child’s home or parents’
    workplace and preferably on the ground floor for accessibility and safety.
  • Timing: Operating hours are flexible and decided mutually between parents and
    the crèche administration.
  • Administrative Committee: Each crèche must have a committee comprising a
    Crèche Administrator, a Crèche Supervisor, and at least three parents or guardians.

2. Staffing and Resource Requirements

  • Staffing Ratio: One supervisor and one helper for every 20–25 children.
  • Qualifications:
    • Supervisors must have passed at least the 12th grade.
    • Helpers must have passed at least the 10th grade.
    • Preference for candidates with diplomas in Childcare or Nursing and a minimum of two years’
      experience.
  • Gender: Only women staff are to be recruited as caregivers.
  • Hiring Prerequisites: Police verification, character certificate, and medical
    certificate are mandatory.

3. Infrastructure and Safety Standards

  • Facility Design: Adequate space, ventilation, lighting, and fenced windows at
    safe heights.
  • Sanitation: Child-friendly toilets with running water, soap, and inclusive
    design for specially-abled children.
  • Security: Mandatory CCTV installation with remote monitoring access for
    parents wherever possible.
  • Inspections: Regular safety inspections by the Administrative Committee and
    quarterly community-based inspections.

4. Health and Holistic Development

  • Health Services: Maintenance of medical records and tie-ups with nearby health
    facilities for emergencies.
  • Learning Materials: Age-appropriate toys, educational activities, and sports
    kits to support cognitive and physical development.
  • Nutrition: Food arrangements decided through mutual agreement between parents
    and the crèche administrator.

5. Essential On-Site Items

  • Health: Weighing scales, thermometers, growth monitoring devices, first aid
    kits.
  • Hygiene: Soap, sanitizers, spin mops, and covered dustbins.
  • Learning & Toys: Fixing blocks, dolls, kitchen sets, stringing beads, and
    learning kits.
  • Safety: Fire extinguishers, torches, and CCTV cameras.
  • Miscellaneous: Beds, cradles (palna), round tables, and storage cabinets.

References

Ministry of Finance, Department of Public Enterprises. (2024, March 4). National Minimum
Standards and Protocol for Crèches (Operation and Management). Government of India.

Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Public Enterprises. (2009,
August 17). Setting up of crèches near workplaces and in the offices of PSEs. Government
of India.

Ministry of Women and Child Development. (2024, February 23). National Minimum Standards
and Protocol for Crèches. Government of India.


Garghate, R., & Choudhari, S. (2024). Health policies and guidelines to promote, protect and
support early childhood development: A narrative review.
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 13(9), 3502–3508.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1847_23


Early Childhood Development,

Early Childhood Care and Education in India: A Multi-pronged Approach

by October 17, 2018no comment

Book -Learning: Issues and Aspects, 2016
By Dr. Ridhi Sethi, Dr. Asha Singh, Dr. Bhanumathi Sharma
New Delhi, India

Abstract

There is growing consensus on the merits of early childhood care and education across the world. The current issues in early childhood care and education are varied and diverse. It may be of access and reach for one segment of population and of quality and commercialization to another. The changing social scenario and economic forces have propelled large scale changes in the need for preschools and extra familial care centres for young children. The authors aim to outline the various stakeholders involved in providing early childhood care and education to children in India. In this paper the policy and programmes provided by the nation/state will be discussed in detail. The authors will also present the initiatives provided by the private sector in the area of early childhood care and education. Through this paper the authors will also discuss a model of Public Private Partnerships via the route of corporate social responsibility.

Working Women,

Child Care Arrangements of Women Working in the Corporate Sector: An Appraisal

by October 17, 2018no comment

Family and Community Participation in Early Childhood Development. (2015)
By Ridhi Sethi, Dr. Asha Singh, Dr. Bhanumathi Sharma
New Delhi, India

What is it to be a working mother with a young child in today’s world? The juggling act of balancing work and family has led to an interest in studying the stressors and support services that a woman has access to. What are the different arrangements available to the private sector?  Are these same or different for different social groups? Whose responsibility is it to care for the young child? Is the role of the government limited to legislate and provide basic survival services for the children of the country? What is the role of the corporate sector in caring for the young? Is it philanthropic or strategic? This paper attempts to review the services available and its impact in caring for the young child. This paper also aims to highlight the relationship between provision of good child care services and women’s participation in the workforce. Women have always been working at home and outside but today they are burdened with more obstacles because of long hours, travelling, competitive nature of work, financial needs and perceived job insecurity. This perceived job insecurity is spilling into the lives of both men and women and have thus led to an increase in research on work and family.

Articles, Corporate Social Responsibility,

Corporate Social Responsibility: Road Map for Early Childhood Care and Development

by September 7, 2018no comment

(ARNEC Connections , 2013)
By Ridhi Sethi, Dr. Asha Singh, Dr. Bhanumathi Sharma
New Delhi, India

“Care and development of young children  has been the primary responsibility of the family, supplemented by society through strong community bonds, and cultural mores and values” (Konantambigi, 2007, p. 31). The different systems of care are working in tandem to secure the goals of child development. A focus on the ‘Child Rights Approach’ has led to significant changes in policy and practice in the functioning of the Indian State. It is this development of efforts that has today brought us to a place where we are rethinking our strategy – the strategy of ‘shared responsibility’, finding resonance in the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) approach.

 

 

Child Care,

Road map for investing in the care of children: Indian Perspective

by September 7, 2018no comment

(Integrated Journal of Social Sciences, 2017)
Dr. Ridhi Sethi, Asha Singh, Bhanumathi Sharma

Abstract
The role that investments in young children play in social and economic development is being recognized globally. In the advent of strong economic and social forces that influence children and their families, childhood has become even more vulnerable today. These strains may be both macro and micro in nature. These include work pressures on parents, economic hardship among families, lack of good non familial support systems and inadequate support from the nation/state. As the world awaits the implementation of the sustainable development goals it becomes imperative to look at the issues of both parental and non parental care. In this paper the authors explore the whole phenomena of investing in child care and its effect on children’s development and empowerment of women. The authors will also outline the trajectory of investments in the form of support from both the private and public sector and the possibility of partnerships in the form of corporate social responsibility.