Entrepreneurship in Child care Services

Entrepreneurship in Childcare Services 4 (2+2)

Lesson 21 : Standards for daycare centers

Statutory Provisions

There are also statutory provisions on minimum standards as contained in the Children’s Acts, Supervision of Immoral Traffic among Women and Girls Act, followed by women and Children’s Institutions Licensing Act of 1956. This was replaced by the Orphanages and Other Charitable Institutions (Supervision and Control) Act of 1960. There is a provision of grant of license to such residential institutions which provided minimum services in diet, clothing, accommodation, training, maintenance of records and accounts.

Aspects covered by / under Standards are

1. Clarity of purpose and objective of the agency / institution
2. A well-thought out programme based on felt-needs
3. Sound organization and procedures to carry out the programme
4. Trained and oriented staff
5. Approved methods of fund-raising, other regulations, accountability & audit etc
6. Avoidance of duplication and overlapping of services
7. Well – defined constitution, rules and regulations, board of management etc
8. Maintenance of proper records, preparation of annual reports and accounts books

Standards in residential institutions:
The standards in residential institutions will cover the following:

1. Physical Amenities: Minimum floor area for living accommodation, play facilities, sanitary conditions, sick room, water, electricity, lighting, ventilation, etc.
2. Physical Care and Protection: Nutritive food, clothing, bedding, personal hygiene, medical treatment, health check-up, recreational facilities, fire protection etc.
3. Education and training: Formal education, vocational training, citizenship training, moral education.
4. Rehabilitation, after-care, follow up: Job placement, apprenticeship, higher education, technical education etc.
5. General: In residential institutions, the following should be borne in mind:
   1. Atmosphere as near as a home should be provided;
   2. Each inmate should as far as possible receive individual attention; and
   3. Total integrated development of the children from the point of the physical, mental, emotional and cultural development should be aimed at.

Minimum requirements in terms of space and convenience, food and clothing, education and training, health check-up and medical services, recreation, rehabilitation etc., have been worked out for different categories of child welfare services in residential and non-residential institutions. These institutions are:

Residential institutions:

1. Children’s Institutions;
2. Special Care Institutions;
3. Institutions for the handicapped children
   1. Deaf and Dumb;
   2. Blind;
   3. Crippled; and
   4. Mentally retarded;
4. Recreational Institutions like BalBhavans, Holiday Homes, Youth Hostels, etc.

Non residential institutions:
Nursery schools, Balwadis, Day-Care Centres, Creches etc.

1. Play Centres, Libraries, reading rooms, etc.,
2. Education, training and employment services for the handicapped children.
3. Services for delinquent and pre-delinquent children.
4. School social work, child guidance clinics.
5. Health and nutrition centres.
6. Youth welfare services.