PM CARES for Children Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Government of India launched the PM CARES for Children Scheme on 29 May 2021 to provide continued care and support to children who lost their parents or other specified caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme, administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), is aimed at ensuring that these children have access to the support they need while growing up, particularly in areas such as education, healthcare and financial security.

Rather than providing only financial assistance, the scheme brings together support from various government programmes to address the different needs of eligible children. Depending on their age and circumstances, beneficiaries can receive assistance for education, healthcare, care and rehabilitation, along with financial support to help them become self-reliant in adulthood.

One of the main benefits is the ₹10 lakh financial corpus. The Government provides an age-based contribution so that the corpus reaches ₹10 lakh when the child turns 18 years of age. After the child turns 18, the corpus is invested to provide a monthly stipend from 18 to 23 years. On attaining 23 years of age, the beneficiary receives the ₹10 lakh corpus as a lump sum, helping provide financial support at the beginning of adulthood.

The scheme also provides ₹5 lakh health insurance cover per child per year under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). Eligible children can also receive support for school education, including admission and educational requirements through applicable government programmes. For children studying in Classes 1 to 12, a separate scholarship provides ₹20,000 per year to help meet educational expenses.

Children who require care and rehabilitation can also receive support through Mission Vatsalya. Eligible children staying with relatives can receive ₹4,000 per month, while children who require institutional care can be supported through Child Care Institutions, as per the applicable rules. The scheme also provides opportunities for higher education through education loan interest subsidy, the AICTE Swanath Scholarship and supernumerary seats in eligible institutions.

The scheme covers children who lost both parents, the surviving parent, legal guardian, adoptive parents or a single adoptive parent due to COVID-19 between 11 March 2020 and 5 May 2023. The child must not have completed 18 years of age on the date of death. The scheme is implemented across all States and Union Territories and all districts of India.

Overall, the PM CARES for Children Scheme aims to ensure that children affected by the loss of their caregivers due to COVID-19 are not left without education, healthcare, care and financial security. The support is intended to continue through important stages of their childhood and early adulthood and help them move towards a self-reliant future.

Scheme Benefits

The PM CARES for Children Scheme provides financial, health, education and care support to eligible children. The main benefits are:

• Financial support through an age-based contribution that creates a ₹10 lakh corpus by the time the child turns 18 years.
• The child receives a monthly stipend from 18 to 23 years and the ₹10 lakh amount on attaining 23 years.
• ₹5 lakh health insurance cover under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY until the child attains 23 years of age.
• ₹4,000 per month per child under Mission Vatsalya for eligible children below 18 years staying with relatives. Children in Child Care Institutions receive applicable support through the institution.
• School education and admission support in suitable Government, Government-aided, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and other eligible schools, as per applicable rules.
• ₹20,000 per year scholarship for eligible children studying in Classes 1 to 12.
• Education loan and applicable interest subsidy under the Central Sector Interest Subsidy Scheme (CSIS) for professional courses and higher education.
• ₹50,000 per year under the AICTE Swanath Scholarship for eligible technical education courses.
• Two supernumerary seats per course per institute in Polytechnic Institutions and supernumerary seats in Higher Education Institutions, as applicable.
• One-time ex-gratia assistance of ₹50,000 per deceased parent per family, subject to applicable provisions.

Age-Based Upfront Contribution

The amount deposited under the scheme depends on the age of the eligible beneficiary when the account is opened. The contribution is structured so that the corpus becomes ₹10 lakh when the beneficiary attains 18 years of age.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive benefits under the PM CARES for Children Scheme, the child must meet the eligibility conditions prescribed by the Government. The child must:

• Have lost both parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic; or
• Have lost the surviving parent due to COVID-19; or
• Have lost the legal guardian due to COVID-19; or
• Have lost adoptive parents or a single adoptive parent due to COVID-19.
• The death must have occurred between 11 March 2020 and 5 May 2023.
• The child must not have completed 18 years of age on the date of death of the parent(s).
• The child must be an identified and approved beneficiary under the PM CARES for Children Scheme.

Required Documents

The exact documents required may vary according to the beneficiary's circumstances and the verification process. The following documents may be required for registration and verification:

• Child's Aadhaar Card or other valid identity document
• Death certificate of the deceased parent(s), guardian or adoptive parent, as applicable
• Proof of relationship with the deceased parent or guardian
• Proof of date of birth of the child
• Proof of address or residence, where required
• Bank or Post Office account details
• Aadhaar-linked bank account details for applicable scholarship payments
• School or educational institution details
• Passportsize Photograph of child and parents
• Details of the caregiver or guardian, wherever applicable
• Any other document required by the Child Welfare Committee, District Magistrate or concerned authority

Steps to Apply

The PM CARES for Children Scheme follows a government-led identification, registration and verification process. Eligible children or their caregivers can approach the concerned child protection authorities for assistance.

• Approach the nearby concerned Child Welfare Committee (CWC), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or District Magistrate for assistance under the scheme.
• Provide the child's details and the required documents for identification and verification.
• The CWC, with help from the DCPU, verifies the child's details and situation.
• The CWC sends its recommendation to the District Magistrate.
• The District Magistrate reviews the case and confirms whether the child is eligible for the scheme.
• After approval, Form-1 is used to open the child's PM CARES for Children Post Office account.
• Submit the required details and documents to the Post Office to open and validate the account.
• Once the account is validated, the eligible financial support is credited to the account.
• The child is then connected with the applicable education, health, child protection and other government support.

Terms and Conditions

• The child must satisfy the eligibility conditions prescribed under the PM CARES for Children Scheme.
• The loss of the parent, guardian or adoptive parent must fall within the officially prescribed COVID-19 period.
• The child must not have completed 18 years of age on the date of death of the parent(s).
• Benefits are available only after the child has been identified and approved under the scheme.
• The ₹10 lakh financial support is structured as a corpus and is not an immediate cash payment to a minor child.
• The monthly stipend is provided after the beneficiary attains 18 years of age.
• The ₹10 lakh amount is provided on attaining 23 years of age as per the scheme provisions.
• Education scholarships and other benefits are subject to the eligibility conditions of the respective supporting schemes.
• Health insurance is provided under PM-JAY according to the applicable scheme rules.
• The PM CARES for Children Scheme is expected to continue until the year in which every identified beneficiary turns 23 years of age.

Relevant Links

• Official Website of Ministry of Women and Child Development
• PM CARES for Children Scheme Details On Ministry of Women and Child Development Portal
• PM CARES for Children Official Portal
• PM CARES for Children Scheme, 2021 – Gazette Notification
• Scholarship Scheme under PM CARES – PIB
• PM CARES for Children Application Form
• PM CARES for Children Scheme Guidelines

Contact Information

Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India Contact Details

• PM CARES for Children Scheme Guidelines Queries Phone Number: 01123381970
• PM CARES for Children Scheme Technical Queries Phone: 01123388074
• PM CARES for Children Scheme Guidelines Queries Email: [email protected]
• PM CARES for Children Scheme Technical Queries Email: [email protected]