NewsVoir
New Delhi [India], October 29: Today at the Annual Childcare Champion Awards championed by FORCES (Forum for Creches and Childcare Services) and Mobile Creches, Mandira Bedi, a leading actor, television presenter, author, and fitness enthusiast, joined hands to celebrate the International Day of Care & Support at the India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi.
Lending her voice to the urgent national conversation on quality childcare and support for children, Mandira conferred the Mina Swaminathan Award to Nirmala Kunwar for dedicating her life towards creating a better care ecosystem for children.
Speaking about the significance of childcare, Mandira Bedi said, "Every child deserves intentional care - not luck - that shapes their future. As a mom, I know the first six years of childhood define a person's life. But millions of parents in India do not have the support systems they need to give their children that nurturing care. Through Mobile Creches and FORCES, I hope to help raise the right kind of awareness about childcare: That it is not a privilege, but a right."
The care and support that children receive in the first six years of their life lay critical foundations for learning, health and wellbeing that can define their entire lives. Mandira's support for the cause will help raise awareness about the importance of nurturing care in these crucial childhood years.
Her presence underscored the growing public recognition that childcare is central to India's growth story. As a mother and adoptive parent, her journey embodies empathy and resilience - values that align deeply with Mobile Creches' mission to make care visible, valued, and supported.
"Mandira represents the modern Indian parent - aware, compassionate, and willing to use her voice for the next generation," said Sumitra Mishra, CEO, Mobile Creches. "Her association with us on International Day of Care marks a milestone in building public consciousness around nurturing care and shared responsibility for India's youngest citizens. The only way to protect India's future and achieve a Viksit Bharat by 2047 is to nurture our youngest citizens."
The Childcare Champions Award, now in its 2nd edition, recognises the valuable contributions of individuals and institutions committed to creating a nurturing ecosystem for children's proper growth and development. Rashmi Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, delivered an address emphasising the need for quality childcare for children's development and the need for the training and capacity building of childcare workers.
The event also saw the launch of a Policy Brief on "Building a Skilled and Professional Childcare Workforce" by Sambodhi Research and FORCES. The brief highlights the impact of the undervaluation of care work on children's developmental outcomes and women's participation in the labour force. It calls for recognising childcare as a public good, increasing public investment, ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, and formalising care work as skilled and dignified employment.
The Early Years Crisis
By 2030, India will have an estimated 164.5 million children under the age of six. Despite that wide array of national policies and schemes, childcare continues to be deprioritized.
Research from Mobile Creches' Landscape and Political Economy Study of Childcare along with Sambodhi, a global advisory and research organization dedicated to promoting evidence-based solutions for complex global issues reveals that:
- Less than one in three children in India under 3 years has access to any form of early learning or care.
- Childcare is often treated as unpaid domestic work, resting solely on women, resulting in low public investment and weak political attention.
- By 2030 India will need
- Childcare Centres Required (by 2030): Approximately 2.6 million childcare services are needed.
- Childcare Workers Needed (by 2030): An estimated 5.2 million trained childcare workers are required.
- Public Spending on ECCE (Early Childhood Care & Education): India's current public spending on (ECCE) remains critically low, hovering around 0.1% of GDP annually.
- Recommended ECCE Spending: International organizations recommend countries invest at least 1% of GDP in ECCE. Alternative projections suggest India needs 1.5-2.5% of GDP.
The Power of Nurturing Care
Nurturing care - defined by responsive caregiving, early learning, safety, nutrition, and health - is not just a parenting ideal but an essential component of nation-building.
Countries that invest in early childhood care have stronger human capital, higher female workforce participation, and lower inequality.
Despite proven global evidence that every Rs. 1 invested in early childhood yields up to Rs. 13 in returns through improved education, health, and productivity outcomes, funding and systemic prioritization remain inadequate.
As India looks toward Viksit Bharat 2047, the message from the event was clear - the nation's progress begins with its youngest citizens. Mandira Bedi's call to action echoed this vision, reminding the audience that investing in childcare is not just a moral but also a national imperative. Her advocacy reinforces that nurturing care today is the foundation for a stronger, more inclusive India tomorrow.
For over five decades, Mobile Creches has worked to ensure that every child under six - especially those of working-class and migrant families - has access to nurturing care, early learning, and protection. Partnering with governments, employers, and civil society, Mobile Creches continues to be a national voice for early childhood development, care work recognition, and systemic change.
For more information, please visit www.mobilecreches.org.
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