Govt to start day care centres for special kids in all districts

Lucknow: The state government has started the process of setting up Bachpan day care centres for specially-abled children in every district of the state. The government has forwarded the action to all district magistrates and is scouting for land to set up the centres.

The centres are currently being run in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra, Bareilly and Noida.

In the action plan circulated by the additional chief secretary, empowerment of persons with disabilities, Hemant Rao, has asked the district magistrates to plan the centres for up to 80 children in the age group of 3-7 years.

Each centre will have a speech therapist, special teacher, attendant-cum-caretaker, cleaning staff, watchman, physiotherapist, counsellor along with a driver and a motor vehicle.

Regular health checkups will be conducted and the government will provide assistive aids and kits to children free of cost.

The building will have at least seven rooms to keep the children in groups to provide them better therapy and counselling.

According to officials, UP has about 42 lakh specially-abled individuals, however, the number of children in the age group of 3-7 years requiring therapy will be known only after a year once the centres become operational. To get children admitted to non-residential centres, their guardians will have to produce a medical certificate to establish that the child has at least 40% disability under the categories defined in the Persons With Disabilites Act, 2016.

While the officials concerned have been asked to get in touch with non-government organisations to rope in coordinators and volunteers, honorarium will be paid to unskilled staff members.

The counsellors will also hold sessions with parents and guardians to tell them how to look after the children to ensure their all-round development.