What is PM Palna — National Creche Scheme?
PM Palna (PM Palna 1.0) is the revamped National Creche Scheme under the Ministry of Women & Child Development, providing safe, stimulating day-care facilities for children aged 6 months to 6 years of working mothers. Creches are set up at community/workplace locations and provide: Full-day care and supervision, nutrition (morning snack + lunch), age-appropriate learning and play activities, health monitoring and immunization support, rest facilities, and safe indoor/outdoor play areas. Creches are managed by eligible NGOs, community organizations, or local bodies empanelled by the ministry. Cost per child: ₹20/day nominal fee (waived for BPL/AAY families). Target: 2.5 lakh creches serving 25 lakh children by 2026. PM Palna is the primary government mechanism for enabling women in the unorganized sector to join the workforce without worrying about childcare. States/UTs share 60:40 funding with Centre (90:10 for NE/Himalayan states).
PM Palna — National Creche Scheme — Quick Overview
| Scheme Name | PM Palna 2026 — National Creche Scheme: Free Daycare for Children of Working Women |
| Launched By | Government of India |
| Launch Year | 2022 |
| Benefit | Safe daycare for children 6 months-6 years at ₹20/day (free for BPL) + Nutrition (snack + lunch) + Learning activities + Health monitoring + Enables mothers to work |
| Category | Women |
| Last Verified | 27 May 2026 |
| Official Portal | https://wcd.nic.in |
Benefits of PM Palna — National Creche Scheme
Safe daycare for children 6 months-6 years at ₹20/day (free for BPL) + Nutrition (snack + lunch) + Learning activities + Health monitoring + Enables mothers to work
Who is Eligible for PM Palna — National Creche Scheme?
- ✓Children aged 6 months to 6 years of working mothers
- ✓Priority to BPL/AAY families and construction workers (BOCW families)
- ✓Fee: ₹20/day per child (nominal — waived entirely for BPL families)
- ✓Working mothers in both organized and unorganized sectors
- ✓Children of ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, domestic help, daily wage workers are priority
Documents Required for PM Palna — National Creche Scheme
How to Apply for PM Palna — National Creche Scheme Online?
- 1Find nearest PM Palna creche: Ask at local Anganwadi centre / Women & Child Development Department / ward office
- 2Visit creche → register child with birth certificate and Aadhaar
- 3BPL families: Submit ration card for fee waiver
- 4Drop child at creche 7 AM-5 PM (working hours) → collect in evening
- 5To open a new PM Palna creche: NGOs/community orgs apply to state WCD department (₹3,000/month/creche funding)
Official Government Portal
Applications go through wcd.nic.in only. Applying is free of charge — no agent, middleman or "consultant" is ever required.
🔗Apply on wcd.nic.in