Meeting with Key Stakeholders

The selection of the village should be followed by a visit to the village or settlement by the Creche Coordinator and Supervisor for having discussion with some of the key members from the community. These members could be community leaders such as Sarpanch or Patel from a community, ward member, Anganwadi worker, Mitanin or ASHA workers, and mothers of all the children eligible in the programme.

Once the villages/settlements are finalized, the programme team is advised to hold discussions with various stakeholders of the community to provide them an overview of the programme. It is recommended to deide date and time for meetings with community members in consultation with these stakeholders.

Community Meeting

The purpose of organizing the community meetings is to ensure that the community is fully aware of the Creche programme and to ensure their participation in decision making and management of creches. It should be ensured that at least one member from each of the families should participate in these meetings. The participation of key stakeholders from the community such as mothers of children below 3 years, pregnant women, elected representatives and community leaders, fontline service providers (Anganwadi workers, ASHA, etc.) in the meetings should be ensured.

During the meetings, some of the potential sites or buildings could be identified in consultation with the community for setting up creches. It is also advised to help the community understand the criteria for selection and role of caregivers, followed by seeking recommendations from the community for selecting suitable caregivers from the community.

The community meetings should initially be led by the Program Manager, but can later be facilitated by Cluster Coordinator, Supervisor, and Training Coordinator after they are oriented to lead the community meetings. In such cases, Program manager should remain in a supporting role. This will enhance the confidence of the team in engaging with the community and addressing difficult situations. Multiple meetings might be required gain trust and confidence of the community, which is essential for effective creche operations.

Below are few suggestions for the topics which can be discussed in the community meetings:

1. The need for these creches should emerge from the community, fostering a sense of ownership among the people.
2. The purpose of creches and its benefits to the community should be discussed in detail.
3. The differences between a creche and an anganwadi entres should be clearly and thoroughly discussed to ensure clarity and support from the Anganwadi workers during community mobilization.
4. Need for a creche space and role of caregivers should be discussed for seeking recommendations from community.

Multiple meetings may be held to arrive at the community’s final decision on establishing a creche in the area. It should be clearly communicated that a creche will not be initiated in the village/settlement in the absence of adequate community support.

If the community expresses strong interest, discussions should focus on their commitment to provide suitable physical space and to identify two dedicated creche caregivers. Upon confirmation of this support, formal community consent for establishing the creche may be obtained.

Based on such consent, the Panchayat should pass a resolution approving the establishment of the creche in the specified village and affirming its commitment to support its proper functioning.