Maharashtra’s Mobile Vans for Street Children to Launch in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, and Nashik
Pune/Mumbai, 14th May 2025: In a major step toward child welfare and urban rehabilitation, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new scheme aimed at supporting street children through dedicated mobile outreach teams. The initiative, which follows the successful completion of a pilot phase under Mission Vatsalya, will now be scaled up across the state with a sanctioned budget of ₹8 crore.
The new program will deploy 31 mobile service units, each staffed with a team of four professionals—a counsellor, a teacher, a female support worker, and a driver. These specially designed buses and vans, equipped with GPS systems and CCTV surveillance, will travel through urban areas to identify and assist vulnerable children living on the streets.
The vehicles will operate in all 29 municipal corporations, including two additional units designated for Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, respectively. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) will be roped in to operate the vans and implement the services on ground.
Explaining the scope of the project, an official from the Women and Child Development Department said, “The goal is to reconnect these children with essential services—education, healthcare, and emotional support—so they can be integrated into mainstream society.”
Each child approached under the program will undergo a social investigation, and an individual rehabilitation plan will be created. This will cover everything from school enrollment and medical check-ups to de-addiction treatment and engagement in art and learning-based activities. Special attention will be given to enrolling children in anganwadis or formal schools, depending on their age.
Officials have mandated that at least 20% of the children reached must be enrolled in educational institutions every month. Funding will be released quarterly to NGOs managing the initiative, with regular performance audits to be conducted by the district-level Women and Child Development Officers.
A senior cabinet official noted, “This isn’t just a welfare scheme—it’s a step toward creating a safety net for children who are most at risk in our cities. The pilot in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nagpur, and Nashik gave us the confidence to take this statewide.”
The government plans to expand the scope further in coming phases, depending on the success of this roll-out.
