STARVING CRECHES

The Union government project to set up crèches to provide health care and supplementary nutrition to the babies of labourers working on daily wages is falling short of its professed goals in Kozhikode district.
The Kerala Council for Child Welfare under the Indian Council for Childe Development (ICCD) aimed to fight malnutrition in the children between the age group of 0-3 years by introducing crèche system in 11 districts in the state.
At present there are 18 creches in Kozhikode district to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment to children of working and ailing mothers of backward classes. The district council for child welfare is directed to give nutritious food for the babies, who will not have access to nutritious food at their home owing to low financial status. However, the scarcity of central fund forces the council to provide only porridge for the babies.
To supply the `nutritious food' the present fund provided by the central government is Rs.2.10 for one child per day. As per the government directive one crèche will accommodate a maximum of 25 children from the lower socio economic strata of the region. Hence the monthly allowance for the crèche to supply health care, supplementary nutrition, immunization and recreation is around Rs.1,500, which is not sufficient to meet the real goal of the project, said V Sundaran, secretary of Kozhikode district Child Welfare Council.
The low salary scale for the trainers and helpers are also creating proble for the council. Many of the trainers are not sticking to the post as their montly allowance is Rs. 1,200, said Sundaran. The monthly payment for the helper is Rs. 800. The staff of the crèche are supposed to work from 9 a m to 5 pm a day. Even the local people are not sticking to the post owing to salary issue, he added.
The maximum monetary support received by a crèche including the salary of staff, fund for food and other requirements is Rs.3,702 per month. As the crèches are receiving financial assistance from the union government, local self governing bodies are also reluctant to give any financial support for its functioning.
These crèches which are supposed to serve the purpose of providing a safe, secure and healthy environment for the children belonging to the families of labourers are becoming the last option of the families as there nothing additional to be provided at these centres. Although the central aid may be helpful for some other states where the cost of essential commodities are lesser than that in Kerala children are suffering from starvation, the case is entirely different in the state, said officials. The union government should notice this element and funds should be increased so as to provid