VIJAYAWADA: The state has taken a significant step towards strengthening urban livelihoods and supporting working mothers by launching a pilot initiative for Urban Creches for Working Mothers in Greater Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
Principal Secretary (MA&UD) S Suresh Kumar issued orders directing Municipal Commissioners to identify suitable municipal buildings, community halls, and public spaces for creche centres.
The initiative, proposed by MEPMA in partnership with Mobile Creches and coordinated with the Women Development and Child Welfare Department, is designed to provide safe childcare for children aged six months to six years from Self-Help Group households and urban poor families.
Each creche will accommodate 25 children, offering nutrition, health linkages, and early learning support. SHG women will be engaged in managing the centres and creating livelihood opportunities.
The model will converge with ICDS services, Anganwadi workers, ANMs, Urban Health Centres, and NHM systems to ensure nutrition standards, growth monitoring, immunisation, and medical referrals.
The pilot envisages 15 creches across the three cities, covering about 375 children, with a 12-month project outlay of Rs 1.5 crore. Locations will be prioritised in slums, labour clusters, and SHG-dense areas to reach women most in need.
MA&UD Minister Ponguru Narayana said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment to people-centric urban infrastructure, noting that urban development must include social infrastructure that directly benefits women and children. He observed that creches will enable working mothers to pursue livelihoods with dignity while ensuring safe care for their children.
Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar added that convergence with Anganwadi services, ANMs, and NHM systems will be critical to ensure children receive supervision, nutrition, health monitoring, and timely referrals. He said the initiative has a dual benefit: reducing childcare burdens for working mothers and creating livelihood opportunities for SHG women.
By leveraging existing municipal infrastructure, the government aims to make the model community-oriented, cost-effective, and scalable to other urban areas after assessing outcomes.
The programme is also expected to improve women’s workforce participation, reduce the care burden on families, and prevent older siblings, especially girls, from being pulled out of school to care for younger children.