The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : How does it feel to shuttle between house and crèche?

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Monday, Sep 01, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

How does it feel to shuttle between house and crèche?

Sruthi Krishnan

“Nuclear families, stressful work mean no time for children”

— PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

CARE-GIVER: Children at a crèche run by Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association (AIEMA).

CHENNAI: A place which is safe has high standards of hygiene, and makes the child feel happy and comfortable, may sound like the answer to what makes an ideal home. But, it is not so. “These are my specifications for a crèche,” says Anita Bhargava, echoing the needs of parents who work round the clock.

Parents these days are perfecting the art of juggling their career and children, irrespective of their income category.

Uma Karthik, who works in a garment factory says, “The anganwadi is not safe. With only one ayah and a teacher, they cannot look after all the children. And, they are open only from 10 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Which workplace closes at this time?” she says, citing the reason why government-run crèches cannot solve a working parent’s problem.

“With Rs. 1,500 as salary, I cannot go to other crèches,” she adds.

“According to the Factories’ Act, any factory employing more than 30 women needs to provide a crèche,” says S. Srinivasan, Former President of Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Association (AIEMA), which has established a crèche for the benefit of employees working in member companies. “The crèche takes care of 95 children with trained staff looking after the education and welfare of the children,” he says.

Plans are under way to start another crèche in the northern phase of the Estate. “A collective proves more effective instead of having a crèche in every factory,” says R. Sridharan, vice-president, AIEMA.

But, the unorganised sector, which does not have any such rules, suffers. “There are an estimated two lakh migrant labourers, many working on the Old Mahabalipuram Road,” says R. Geetha, a trade union activist. “They come from Orissa, Andhra and other places. They have no crèches or educational facilities for their children and child labour is rampant.” The scenario is not rosy for couples who are executives in the private sector.

“My parents or in-laws don’t stay with me. I had to ask for flexible shifts till I found a crèche,” says Nagalakshmi Ganesan, who works at a financial services firm.

“Nuclear families and stressful working environment mean no time or energy for the child. Such corporate couples have to get childcare,” says Suri Ganapathi, who founded Kanchana Paati – My Grandma’s Place. And it is never too early for well-managed childcare. “As maternity leave is only for 90 days, we are willing to take children from 91st day,” he says.

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