Child Care

India's child deprivation problem requires urgent, systemic reform

Further, development-aid cuts could lead to 4.5 million additional under-five deaths by 2030 and push six million children out of school by next year

NCPCR rescued 2,300 children across country in 6 months, says official

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has said that in the past six months, it disposed of around 26,000 cases and rescued more than 2,300 children across the country. Division head for Juvenile Justice, POCSO and special cells of NCPCR, Paresh Shah, however, said that child rights violations are not mere statistics and each case represents a story of a child and a family. Effective action by officials determines not only the lives of children but the future of the country, he said. Shah stated that both the Central and state governments are committed to safeguarding every child in Arunachal Pradesh, but stressed that strong laws alone are not enough without robust monitoring, awareness and coordinated enforcement. The assertion came during a state-level conference on gaps and challenges in the implementation of key child rights legislations held here recently. Child rights violations are not mere statistics, and each case represents a story of a child and

China rolls out $500 child subsidies to boost birth rate: But is it enough

While China's new payout is its boldest pro-birth move yet, it may not counter the deep economic and social pressures driving China's demographic decline

US labour dept to end mental health, child care benefits for own staff

DOL's Worklife4You programme, which offers prenatal kits for expecting parents, nurse visits to help with eldercare, and personal finance and wellness advice, is being discontinued effective May 9

Cradlewise, AI startup that gives parents peace of mind with smart tech

How a couple got the idea for a smart crib that now has fans worldwide, including OpenAI chief Sam Altman

Indira IVF expands with launch of MatCare Maternity & Child Hospital

This expansion further enhances Indira IVF's core reproductive care offerings, underscoring its commitment to delivering high-quality, integrated services that fully address diverse needs of families

India's move from institutional to family-based childcare gains momentum

In the drought-prone villages in many parts of the country, seasonal migration forces families into impossible choices. When parents leave for months to work in sugarcane fields, brick kilns or construction sites, they often take their children along. But those who stay behind are left in the care of grandparents or older siblings, often facing emotional strain and the burden of household responsibilities. For both groups, the consequences are stark: disrupted education, limited access to healthcare, and exposure to child labour and early marriage. The UNICEF, in collaboration with district authorities and NGOs, is working to address this crisis through its 'Kinship and Community-Based Care Programme' in places like drought-prone Jalna in Maharashtra. The initiative, which aims to keep children in their villages under the care of relatives or community members, is part of a broader shift in India's child protection system'?s move away from institutional care toward family-based ..

Anganwadi centres world's largest childcare institutions: MoS in LS

Minister said that to address these difficulties faced by the working mothers in giving due child care and protection to their children, day-care facilities are being provided through Palna scheme

World Children's Day 2024: Wishes, quotes and messages to send your kids

World Children's Day is celebrated every year on November 20 to take steps towards children's welfare, protect vulnerable children and advocate children's rights for a better world for children

182 mn kids in low-, middle-income nations lack access to nurture: Study

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), three-fourths of those aged three or four years lack -- nearly 182 million children -- access to adequate nurture, thereby risking healthy development, according to a new series paper, published in The Lancet journal. The series builds on the foundation of the first 1,000 days of life -- referring to the time period starting conception until two years old -- and highlights how the 'next 1,000 days' (from age two to age five) is a crucial window of opportunity for providing nurturing care to children, researchers said. During this stage of 'next 1,000 days', children are often not in direct regular contact with health or education services, with fewer than one in three children aged three or four attending early childhood care and education programmes in LMICs, said the researchers. The authors called for an increased investment for this stage of child development, with a particular focus on improving access to high quality childhood care

Rising demand sparks expansion of women, child care services by hospitals

Hospital sector insiders say that there is rising demand for specialised maternal and child healthcare services such as obstetrics, gynaecology, infertility, neonatology, and paediatrics

Pet care explosion: Why we're spending more on pets than children

People in the US are spending more on their furry companions than on childcare, with billions pouring into everything from premium food to vet visits

Kamala Harris seeks to cap child care costs at 7% for working families

It's sadly the state of affairs in our country that working people often have to decide to either be able to work or be able to have child care, Harris said

Fixing child care would not be expensive: Trump as he proposes tax hikes

Asked recently how he would bring down the high cost of child care, former President Donald Trump said doing so would be relatively not very expensive at least, not compared with revenue from tax hikes he would impose on foreign goods. Economists are skeptical tariffs would raise enough to cover Trump's tax cuts as well as a large-scale child care program, and Democrats said higher tariffs would raise costs for families by increasing the prices of consumer goods. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign did not respond to questions on his plans for child care. On one point, some child care experts agree with Trump: Fixing the child care system would not be very expensive compared with some other government expenditures. But as past proposals have shown, the price tags associated with a federally funded child care system make it difficult politically to achieve. I do think his comments are somewhat accurate that fixes to child care, making child care more accessible and more affordabl

Need to integrate HMIS portal with other portals of ministry: Health secy

There is a need to integrate the Health Management Information System (HMIS) portal with the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal and other portals of the health ministry to ensure that the data is uploaded timely and analysed carefully, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra said On Monday. Chandra made the remarks as he released "Health Dynamics of India (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23", an annual publication formerly known as "Rural Health Statistics", here. The document has been published since 1992. Highlighting the document as a source of reliable and authentic information on various aspects of the National Health Mission (NHM), Chandra said, "The annual publication is a valuable document furnishing much-needed information on manpower and infrastructure within the NHM, helpful in policy making, improving processes and problem solving." He added that the document gives a cross-analysis across the states on the availability and deficiencies in manpower and ...

Govt employees to get six-month maternity, child care leave for surrogacy

In cases of surrogacy involving government servants, both the surrogate and the commissioning mother (with less than two surviving children) may receive 180 days of maternity leave

IPO-bound FirstCry plans to scale up its operations in global markets

The company plans to set up new modern stores and warehouses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), according to the sources

Denying women childcare leave violation of Constitution: Supreme Court

Assistant professor alleged government college in Nalagarh, Himachal Pradesh, had denied hear leave to care for child with special needs

Adoptions in India reach pre-pandemic levels at over 4,000 in a year

Of the 4,009 adoptions between April 2023 and March 2024, 449 were inter-country adoptions, the government data showed

Indira IVF on global expansion spree, eyes overseas centre in Nepal first

This expansion is driven by a combination of factors, including the growing demand for IVF treatment in underserved markets and foreign customers coming in