Thane civic body to form policy to regulate crèches in city

The Thane Municipal Corporation does not have data on the number of crèches or daycare centres operating in the city. It has asked the women and child welfare department officials to survey crèches operating in Thane

After the brutal assault of a nine-month-old girl at a daycare centre in Navi Mumbai came to light, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) plans to form a policy to regulate crèches across the city.

Crèches in Thane city will be asked to register with the civic body. (HT PHOTO USED FOR REPRESENTATION ONLY)

For this purpose, civic officials will soon survey crèches in Thane city.

According to officials, the TMC does not have data on the number of crèches or daycare centres operating in the city.

A women and child welfare department official said, “We need to know who has permitted the setting up of these crèches. As of now, we do not have any information on the number of crèches or daycare centres operating in the city. Besides, there is no policy in place to regulate them.”

But this scenario is set to change soon.

Sunil Chavan, additional municipal commissioner, TMC, said, “The women and child welfare department officials will survey the number of crèches in the city. This will help us get an idea of the number of staff, children and facilities offered by crèches.”

“The department will then issue notices to crèches in the city asking them to register with us. We will also prepare a draft which will mention the facilities that these crèches will have to offer, the staff-to-child ratio and the precautions that need to be taken by crèche owners,” added Chavan.

Thane Municipal Corporation clueless about its own crèche

The Thane Municipal Corporation’s (TMC) women and child welfare department is clueless about the status of its own crèche. Around three years ago, TMC had set up a crèche near Mahatma Gandhi Garden, Thane (West) to take care of children whose parents go to work. However, a civic official from the department claims he has no clue if the crèche is still up and running. “The contract to run the crèche was given to a private contractor,” said the civic official.