Published Feb 14, 2026 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 14, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Preschool children doing painting with teacher in art class. (iStock)
Synopsis: A special report tabled in the Kerala Legislative Assembly flagged serious concerns over the unregulated growth of crèches, day care centres, pre-schools and kindergartens across the state, warning that thousands of children are in institutions operating without a clear, binding regulatory framework. The findings echo recent observations of the Kerala High Court, which has questioned the government over delays in framing comprehensive childcare regulations despite assurances given in 2021.
A rapidly expanding network of crèches, day care centres, pre-schools and kindergartens across Kerala is operating in what lawmakers have described as a regulatory grey zone, with no clear, binding framework governing standards, safety or accountability.
A special report tabled in the Kerala Legislative Assembly has now brought the issue into sharp focus, warning that the early years of thousands of children are being entrusted to institutions that function with minimal supervision and fragmented oversight.
The report, presented by U Prathibha, MLA and Chairperson of the Legislative Assembly Committee on the Welfare of Women, Transgenders, Children and Persons with Disabilities, was approved on 29 January and tabled on 3 February.
It follows mounting complaints about lapses in childcare facilities and concerns about safety, infrastructure, and the quality of care.
After examining submissions from multiple departments, the committee concluded that while the sector has grown rapidly — largely driven by private players — regulatory mechanisms have not kept pace.
Meanwhile, concerns flagged by the Assembly panel echo those raised earlier by the Kerala High Court as it pulled up the government over the continued delay in framing comprehensive rules for childcare institutions, despite assurances given as far back as 2021.
Although early childhood care and education fall under the jurisdiction of local self-government institutions following decentralisation, the committee found that Grama Panchayats and Municipalities are unable to provide effective supervision, support and coordination to the growing number of childcare centres operating within their limits.
Under existing norms, day care centres, pre-schools and kindergartens in municipalities are licensed under the Kerala Municipality (Grant of Licenses for Industries, Factories, Trades, Entrepreneurial Activities and Other Services) Rules, 2011.
According to data made available to the committee by the Local Self-Government Department, 399 day care centres, 3,501 pre-schools and 361 kindergartens are functioning within municipal limits under trade licences. A majority are in the private sector.
The committee observed that the proliferation of day care centres as commercial ventures has outpaced regulation.
Though Anganwadis and pre-primary schools are listed as essential functions of Grama Panchayats under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, there is no provision for registration or licensing procedures specific to these institutions.
The Panchayat Raj Act and the Municipality Act remain silent on operational norms. “The absence of clear restrictions or binding norms has created a regulatory vacuum,” the report noted.
To make matters worse, reports submitted by the Departments of Women and Child Development and Local Self-Government have laid bare a startling vacuum — no government department currently enforces clear, binding restrictions on the functioning of crèches, day care centres, pre-schools or kindergartens.
After examining the submissions, the committee was left with the troubling conclusion that these institutions, entrusted with the care and safety of young children, are operating in a regulatory grey zone, with little clarity on standards, oversight, or accountability.
The committee, in its special report on the ‘operation of crèches, daycare centres, pre-schools, and kindergartens,’ further expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of cooperation from certain departments.
Questionnaires seeking information were sent to the Departments of Women and Child Development, Local Self-Government, General Education, and Health and Family Welfare. While two departments furnished reports, the Health and General Education Departments had not submitted the requested data at the time of finalisation.
The omission, the committee indicated, reflects the fragmented nature of oversight in a sector that demands coordinated governance.
Perhaps most strikingly, the committee observed that there is no formal mechanism to examine complaints regarding deficiencies in private-sector childcare centres.
To address this vacuum, the committee recommended the constitution of a State-Level Monitoring Committee and High-Level Committees at the Panchayat and Municipality levels to oversee private institutions and investigate complaints.
It also called for efficient coordination between the Departments of Women and Child Development and Local Self-Government to steer crèches and pre-schools towards comprehensive development, rather than leaving oversight fragmented and ineffective.
Speaking with South First, Anson PD Alexander of Kanal, an NGO working among children, said the debate around the lack of regulatory oversight for crèches, daycare centres and playschools is not new.
“This discussion has been going on for some time now. There is no clear registration guideline governing these institutions. But while we speak about regulation, we also need to remember what happened when the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, came into force,” he said.
The Act laid down specific standards for establishments engaged in the care, protection and rehabilitation of children, making registration mandatory. “When it was enforced, many institutions had to shut down because they couldn’t meet the prescribed criteria. If similar norms are introduced now for crèches and playschools, a large number of them may have to close down. A majority function with minimal facilities,” he noted.
However, he stressed that a structured registration mechanism is necessary and would bring about a significant change in standards.
Pointing to another serious gap, Anson said there is currently no effective mechanism for parents to raise complaints against childcare centres. “With nuclear families and single parents becoming the norm, crèches and daycare centres are not optional — they are essential. Yet many parents are left with little choice but to tolerate threats, arbitrary fines and even misbehaviour reported from some centres,” he said.
Currently, parents can approach the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, but its role is largely recommendatory. “The Commission can issue recommendations, but enforcement remains a challenge,” he pointed out.
Given that children spend their formative years in these institutions, Anson argued that clear and uniform standards are urgently required. “Regulation should not be restricted to infrastructure alone. It must extend to staff as well. Caregivers and nannies should meet minimum qualifications and training standards before being allowed to work in such settings,” he said.
“If the government accepts the committee’s recommendations and introduces a balanced, enforceable framework, it will be nothing short of pathbreaking,” he added.
The committee has strongly advocated for the implementation of the National Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy issued by the Central Government, which prescribes common standards for pre-schools in both public and private sectors.
It recommended that the state adopt the policy in full and issue legally binding guidelines for the establishment and operation of all pre-schools, including crèches.
The Local Self-Government Department, the committee said, should amend its rules to ensure that only institutions complying with these guidelines are granted registration and operational permission.
Importantly, the committee has proposed mandatory installation of CCTV surveillance systems in such institutions, with access provided to parents, as a safety measure.
A state-level monitoring system to oversee functioning and investigate complaints has also been recommended.
The report underscored the crucial role of early childhood educators in shaping healthy habits and overall development. The committee expressed concern that many institutions prioritise academic drills over mental and physical development.
It recommended that registration rules must ensure the presence of properly qualified teachers and caregivers in all childcare centres.
Commercially driven learning materials used in some private institutions should be eliminated, the committee said, and replaced with developmentally appropriate tools encouraging natural activities.
Recognising disparities in learning standards before children enter Class I, the committee called for the introduction of a unified and scientific curriculum across pre-schools, including crèches.
This should be jointly developed and implemented by the Departments of Women and Child Development and General Education to ensure a common developmental baseline for children entering formal schooling.
The committee also pointed to inadequacies in basic facilities in many crèches operating in the state. It urged strict enforcement of physical infrastructure norms laid down in the National ECCE Policy.
Referring to the chief minister’s direction to amend the Rules of Business to enable joint implementation of early childhood legislation by the Women and Child Development and General Education Departments, the committee noted that final steps were underway.
It recommended swift enactment and inclusion of provisions empowering the Women and Child Development Department to regulate private-sector pre-schools and crèches.
Even before the Assembly committee recently flagged serious concerns about Kerala’s rapidly expanding childcare sector functioning without a clear regulatory framework, the Kerala High Court had pointedly reminded the government of its unfinished task.
In November 2025, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice VM Syam Kumar considered a public interest litigation filed by Mehna Ibrahim of Changanassery.
The petition highlighted the absence of binding norms for daycare centres, crèches and pre-primary institutions across the State — an issue that had come up earlier as well.
The petitioner drew the court’s attention to proceedings dating back to 2021, when the state had assured the Bench that comprehensive guidelines would be framed within two months.
That assurance, the plea argued, remained unfulfilled.
During the earlier hearing, the government had filed an affidavit stating that the Director of the Women and Child Development Department had been entrusted with preparing draft regulations for daycare centres, play schools and kindergartens. The proposed framework, the affidavit said, would draw upon the National Crèche Scheme and the anganwadi model. It had also indicated that about two months would be required to complete administrative procedures for policy approval.
Four years on, however, the Bench noted that no concrete outcome had been placed before it. Expressing dissatisfaction with the pace of progress, the court directed the Secretary concerned to place on record the steps taken to speed up the process.
Senior Government Counsel, along with departmental officials, informed the court that consultations were still underway.
The drafting exercise, they said, required coordination between the Women and Child Development and General Education Departments to harmonise child protection safeguards, curriculum standards, infrastructure requirements and broader national policy guidelines, including the 2013 Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Policy.
The state cited administrative procedures and stakeholder consultations as reasons for the delay.
The bench, however, observed that the government had yet to provide a convincing explanation for why a commitment made in 2021 had still not translated into notified rules — even as the number of private childcare facilities continued to grow across Kerala.
(Edited by Muhanmed Fazil.)
