India’s childcare ecosystem is rooted in a long history but remains undervalued, and it faces significant challenges as well as opportunities today.

Recognition, Evolution, and Challenges of Care Work and Childcare in India

• Global Recognition of Care Work: UN declared October 29 as International Day of Care and Support (2023), highlighting the need to reduce, redistribute, and value unpaid care work, predominantly performed by women and girls.
• Evolution of Childcare in India: Early pioneers like Tarabai Modak and Gijubai Badheka introduced developmentally appropriate childcare; post-Independence systems shifted to private/voluntary sectors, excluding low-income families. 
  • The 1972 Study Group (Mina Swaminathan) emphasized health, nutrition, and social justice for marginalized children.
• Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) Framework: Launched in 1975, ICDS is one of the world’s largest early childhood programmes, with 1.4 million Anganwadis reaching 23 million children; projected need by 2030: 2.6 million centres for 60 million children.
• Challenges for Care Workers: Viewed as service providers, not educators, facing low wages (₹8,000–₹15,000), poor working conditions, weak training, and climate vulnerabilities. 
  • Women perform 426 minutes/day of unpaid care vs 163 minutes by men, impacting child undernutrition (stunting 35%).
• Childcare Champion Awards (2025): Recognize frontline workers, NGOs, and local leaders promoting equitable childcare, breaking caste barriers, and serving migrant families.
  • Purpose of the Awards: Mobile Creches and FORCES launched the India Childcare Champion Awards 2025 to honour excellence in childcare across seven categories.

Way Forward

• Professionalisation: Decent wages, social security, paid leave, career pathways.
• Skill-Building & Infrastructure: Strong training and facilities, especially for children under three.
• Public Investment: Raise childcare spending from 0.4% to 1–1.5% of GDP.
• Rights-Based Approach: Treat care as a women’s and children’s right.
• Decentralisation & Convergence: Local governance and cross-department coordination.
• Empowering Care-Workers: Ensure voice, resources, and authority in policymaking.

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Conclusion

India can build a stronger, more inclusive future by investing in care-workers and childcare systems, treating care as a critical public good that strengthens social equity and inclusion.

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