Hazaribagh, Oct 15 : Residents of Jharkhand's Hazaribagh have started receiving the benefits of the Central government's ambitious 'Palna' Scheme, and now, working women no longer need to worry about child care during work hours.

The National Creche Scheme, now rebranded as the 'Palna' Scheme under Mission Shakti, provides day care for children aged 6 months to 6 years of working mothers. The scheme aims to promote holistic child development, offer nutritional and health support, and educate parents about better child care practices.

The scheme was formally launched in Hazaribagh at the Secretariat complex by Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and National Health Mission Director, Aradhna Patnaik, who stated that improved facilities are now being provided for working women.

Plans are in place to open 32 creches across Hazaribagh district. The first centre was inaugurated at the Social Welfare Department office complex. Social Welfare Officer Shipra Sinha stated that children will experience a home-like environment in these centres, easing the worries of working mothers.

Women in the area welcomed the move, stating that the establishment of creches would significantly help them balance work and childcare. They can now leave their children in a safe, nurturing environment while they work. Many called the initiative a blessing for working women.

The upcoming creches will also be opened in Barkagaon and Keredari, further extending the scheme's reach to more working women in the district.

"The basic concept of a creche is to support working women by taking care of their children aged 6 months to 6 years while they are at work. We are providing home-like facilities to these children," Sinha told IANS.

Sangeeta Kumari, a beneficiary, said: "It's a really good scheme. Since we're busy with office work all day, we constantly worry about our children. This concept gives us peace of mind knowing that our children are safe and well cared for."

The objective of the Palna Scheme is to provide quality creche facilities in a safe and secure environment for children (aged 6 months to 6 years), along with nutritional support, health care, cognitive development, growth monitoring, and immunisation. Importantly, creche facilities under Palna are provided to all mothers, regardless of their employment status.

The Palna component under Mission Shakti delivers a comprehensive set of services to support early childhood care and development, in convergence with Mission Poshan 2.0.

There are two types of creches under the Palna Scheme: standalone creches and anganwadi-cum-creches.

As per Mission Shakti guidelines, standalone creches are staffed with a creche worker and a creche Helper. In the case of AWCCs, in addition to the existing anganwadi Worker and anganwadi Helper, an extra creche worker and creche helper are appointed. Anganwadi centres are among the world's largest childcare institutions, ensuring care delivery even in the most remote areas.

The Anganwadi-cum-Creche initiative also aims to boost women's workforce participation in the economy. The Ministry of Women and Child Development plans to establish 17,000 new Anganwadi-cum-Creches under the Palna Scheme during 2024'25.

As of March 2025, 11,395 AWCCs have been approved across 34 states and Union Territories, based on proposals received from various regions.

/IANS