Mission Vatsalya

5-Aug-2022: Mission Vatsalya Scheme

Mission Vatsalya Scheme is a roadmap to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It lays emphasis on child rights, advocacy and awareness along with strengthening of the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to 'leave no child behind'. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 form the basic framework for implementation of the Mission. Funds under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme are released according to the requirements and demands made by the States/UTs.

The Scheme is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in partnership with State Governments and UT Administrations to support the States and UTs in universalizing access and improving quality of services across the country. The fund sharing pattern is in the ratio of 60:40 between Centre and State & Union Territories with Legislature respectively. The fund sharing pattern between Centre and State is in the ratio of 90:10 for the North-Eastern States viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura and two Himalayan States viz. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and UT of Jammu and Kashmir. For Union Territories without Legislature, it is 100% central share.

Mission Vatsalya scheme supports the children through Non-Institutional Care under Private Aided Sponsorship wherein interested sponsors (individuals/ institutions/ company/ banks/ industrial units/ trusts etc.) can provide assistance to children in difficult circumstances. The District Magistrates take measures to encourage individuals or Public/ Private Sector Organisations to sponsor a child or a group of children or an Institution. Such arrangements are subject to stipulations as per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Rules thereof.

3-Aug-2022: Involvement of Private Sector in Mission Vatsalya Scheme

29-Jul-2022: New Norms for Mission Vatsalya

The WCD Ministry is implementing a centrally sponsored scheme through State/UT Governments namely Mission Vatsalya under which, a monthly grant of Rs. 4000/- per child is provided for family based non-institutional care including Sponsorship (kinship) or Foster Care or After Care. The Mission Vatsalya in partnership with States and Districts provides support to a 24x7 helpline service for children as defined under the JJ Act, 2015.

The Mission Vatsalya Scheme envisages setting up Cradle Baby Reception Centres in at least one Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA), preferably government run, in each District, to save the abandoned children and look after them with due care and affection till he/she is given in adoption.

Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, States/UTs need to focus on special need children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), who are not able to go to school due to physical/mental disabilities. Special provisions are required to be made in the CCIs to provide services including Special Educators/therapist and Nurse required for such children in CCIs for occupational therapy, speech therapy, verbal therapy and other remedial classes as per the children’s need. The capacity building of the Special Unit staff in sign language, Braille etc. are undertaken with help of resource institutions by States/UTs for such Homes.

Mission Vatsalya Scheme is implemented in partnership with States/UTs as per prescribed norms in the guidelines.

7-Jul-2022: Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Guidelines for Mission Vatsalya Scheme

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Mission Vatsalya” erstwhile Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme, since 2009-10 for the welfare and rehabilitation of children. The objective of Mission Vatsalya is to secure a healthy and happy childhood for each and every child in India, ensure opportunities to enable them to discover their full potential and assist them in flourishing in all respects, in a sustained manner, foster a sensitive, supportive and synchronized ecosystem for development of children, assist States/UTs in delivering the mandate of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015 and achieve the SDG goals. Mission Vatsalya promotes family-based non-institutional care of children in difficult circumstances based on the principle of institutionalization of children as a measure of last resort.

Components under Mission Vatsalya include- Improve functioning of statutory bodies; Strengthen service delivery structures; Upscale institutional care/services; Encourage non-institutional community-based care; emergency outreach services; Training and capacity building.

All the States/UTs have signed the Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with the Ministry for implementation of the Scheme. Mission Vatsalya will be implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme as per prescribed cost sharing ratio between the Centre and State/UT Governments.

The ministry has issued detailed guidelines of the Mission Vatsalya Scheme and State Governments/UT Administrations have been asked to prepare their financial proposal and plans for the year 2022-23 under Mission Vatsalya Scheme on the basis of financial norms of Guidelines. The norms of Mission Vatsalya scheme will be applicable from 01 April, 2022.

9-Feb-2022: Scheme For Destitute Children

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the Centrally sponsored ‘Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme’ – Mission Vatsalya for rehabilitation of children in difficult circumstances including, orphan and destitute children. Under CPS scheme, financial assistance is provided to the State Governments/UT Governments for providing services which include institutional care, non-institutional care, support for capacity building, human resources etc. Grants are also provided for setting up and maintenance of various types of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) including children homes, observation homes, special homes, place of safety, open shelters etc. CCIs provide for age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc. The execution of the scheme lies with the respective States/UTs.

Apart from this, as informed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Hon’ble Supreme Court in SMWP (C) No.6/2021 In Re Children in Street Situations has taken Suo-moto cognizance of the issue of children in street situations.

The Ministry has taken various measures and regularly engaged with all State/UTs to ensure continued and uninterrupted delivery of services and also for effective implementation of the schemes. Various guidelines and advisories have been shared with the States/ UTs to keep operational and available the institutions and facilities run under different schemes.