NEW DELHI: To provide comprehensive childcare in a safe and secure environment, the centre on Tuesday rolled out standards and protocols for setting up creches that will help foster the overall development of children in the country.The idea behind coming out with the standards for setting up and management of creches is also to ensure women-led development and also to help it emerge into a new service sector that could provide job opportunities to women.The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry, which has formulated the standards, has also advised states and UTs to adopt them.The protocol lists mandatory CCTV and access to it to parents/guardians so that they can monitor the crèche remotely from even their workplaces as one of the key safety features.The national minimum standards and protocol for creches (operation and management) stipulates that these facilities may be provided from the age group of six months onwards and can be set up in office space, residential apartments, society, schools, hospitals, cooperative offices or any other place as per requirements.“It is ideal to have crèche near the homes of children or the place of work of the parents/guardians so that parents/guardians can be contacted in case of emergencies,” said the document.The ministry, which has listed 21 key points to be considered for setting up such creches, has said that these crèches should preferably be on the ground floor; timing should be demand-based and mutually decided by the crèche administration and parents/guardians as also the food provided to the children.
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