Construction of 20 child daycare centers takes way too long time

The project to establish 20 child daycare centers has made little progress. Although it was supposed to be completed in five years, implementation is taking 12 years and 4 months. This has raised questions about an important government social initiatives. At the same time, the project cost is also increasing.

In this situation, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs has sent the third revision proposal of the project to the Planning Commission. A meeting of the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) will be held on August 4 to discuss the proposal. There, project officials may face various questions regarding the delays, cost increases, and repeated revisions.

In this regard, a responsible official of the Planning Commission told Agamir Somoy, "The initiative was taken to establish and operate 20 child daycare centers in 10 districts in a new format, to allow working parents to perform their duties at their workplaces without worry. Through this project, the aim was to ensure daytime care for children of working women aged between 4 months and 6 years."

"Due to delays in project implementation, the deadline has to be extended repeatedly. Even now, the actual progress is below 60 percent. At the PEC meeting on August 4, project officials will be asked to explain why such a relatively small project is taking so long and the reasons for the continuous delays," he added.

Sources say the original duration of the project was from March 2016 to February 2021—that is, five years. However, as work could not be completed on time, the deadline was extended four times up to June 30, 2026. Still, with work unfinished, the third revision proposal seeks a further extension of two years, setting a new deadline of June 2028. This would bring the total implementation time for the project to 12 years and 4 months.

Meanwhile, the initial cost of the project was estimated at Tk 59.88 crore. Through the first and second revisions, it increased to Tk 84.61 crore. In the latest third revision proposal, an additional Tk 28.63 crore has been proposed, bringing the total cost to Tk 113.24 crore.

Abul Kashem Md. Mohiuddin, former secretary of the Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED), told Agamir Somoy that initiatives like establishing child daycare centers are certainly commendable. However, the prolonged delays naturally raise various questions.

He said, "When a project's implementation is delayed, costs increase, and this project is no exception. This means not only is the government spending extra money, but also the working parents who were supposed to benefit from this project are being deprived of the services within the scheduled time. Therefore, the reasons behind such a long delay in project implementation need to be carefully examined."
Under the project, arrangements are to be made for daytime care of children aged 4 months to 6 years. Additionally, the objectives include ensuring nutritious food, primary treatment, healthcare, physical and mental development, and early childhood education for the children.

Furthermore, there is a plan to establish and operate a total of 20 modern child daycare centers in seven district headquarters, including Dhaka, Gazipur, and Rangpur metropolitan areas. Each center is expected to have 12 trained personnel, digital management and monitoring systems, 12 learning corners, and age-appropriate toys and educational materials.

The project proposal states that upon implementation, 1,200 children will receive daytime care each year, 480 children will receive pre-primary education, and an equal number of working women will have the opportunity to participate in economic activities without hindrance.

Reasons for project revision

Regarding the reasons for revising the project, those concerned have stated that a proposal to create posts for 63 directly recruited personnel, in order to maintain the project's continuity in the revenue budget, is pending with the Ministry of Public Administration. Since this process was not completed by June, a deadline extension is necessary. Additionally, 13 of the 20 centers established in private buildings have been relocated to government buildings. Time is needed to relocate the remaining 7 centers (in Rangpur, Tangail, Cox's Bazar, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Chandpur, and Noakhali). Moreover, new economic codes have been added, such as special benefits, committee honorariums, and vehicle repair codes.

Issues to be raised by the PEC

Sources at the Planning Commission indicate that at the Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting scheduled for August 4, questions will be raised regarding the necessity and justification of the project's third revision proposal and the reasons for repeated amendments.

Sources say that in the third revision of the project, which is being implemented with 100% government (GOB) funding, a 33.84% cost increase has been proposed. However, the Medium-Term Budget Framework (MTBF) schedule has not been properly followed. Additionally, the current FY2026-27 ADP allocation for the project is only Tk 1 lakh. Explanations will also be sought on how the additional funds will be arranged or adjusted.