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.
Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme support is provided to States/ UTs for setting up of Special Unit for children with special needs in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), who are not able to go to school due to physical/ mental disabilities. Special provisions are 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. is undertaken with help of resource institutions in States for such Homes.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.