For Maharashtra’s vulnerable children, welfare aid trapped in red tape

For thousands of vulnerable children in Maharashtra, a welfare scheme designed to keep them out of institutions and support them within their families is often undermined by bureaucratic delays, missing documents, and irregular payments, according to a new report by Prayas, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), and legal advocacy organisation iProbono India.

The report, Bal Sangopan Yojana: Analysis and Experiences, released in May 2026, documents how eligible beneficiaries, including children of single parents, incarcerated parents and other vulnerable families, frequently spend months or even years navigating administrative hurdles before receiving assistance under the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Bal Sangopan Yojana.

One such beneficiary is Nirmala Patil (name changed), a widow from Nanded who supports her two children through private tuition classes. Her husband died of cancer, and she says the scheme’s financial assistance, intended to help cover school expenses, has arrived only sporadically.

“Last year my children received funds only for three months, a 2024 due. This year they received ₹2,250 each only once, on April 2. They have not received timely funds since 2024,” she said.

Patil enrolled her children under the scheme in 2023 but says the process took nearly 18 months. Every year, she is required to resubmit documents, school records and certificates while officials conduct verification visits.

Originally launched in 1995 as a foster care programme and expanded in 2008, the Bal Sangopan Yojana provides monthly financial assistance of ₹2,250 per child to eligible children below the age of 18, including orphans, children of single parents, children of incarcerated parents and others in need of care and protection. The scheme seeks to promote family-based care and reduce institutionalisation.

The report highlights several implementation challenges. Researchers found that families often spend six to twelve months collecting documents and navigating administrative procedures before applications are processed. In many cases, sanctioning of benefits takes another six to twelve months, while payments are frequently released in batches rather than on a monthly basis.

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According to the report, income certificates remain one of the biggest barriers. In one case, seven of 25 applications handled by a social worker were rejected because families could not obtain the required income certificate. Researchers also documented instances where beneficiary files were misplaced, forcing applicants to restart the process.

One of the report’s most striking case studies concerns a Mumbai woman who was sent to Byculla prison in a criminal case, leaving her two sons in the care of their elderly grandmother. Social workers attempted to enrol the children under the scheme, but repeated procedural delays followed.

After the Child Welfare Committee approved the application, the file was reportedly lost three times after being forwarded to the Women and Child Development Department. Subsequent applications were delayed by staff transfers and misplaced paperwork, forcing social workers to repeatedly reconstruct the file. By the time assistance was sanctioned, years had passed. After the mother was released on bail, the children were declared ineligible and benefits were discontinued despite the family’s continuing financial hardship.

“Collecting documents is one of the biggest hurdles for beneficiaries. Many families we work with include daily wage labourers, people living in slums or on the streets, and families affected by imprisonment. They often do not have income certificates, ration cards or even birth certificates. In our experience, a large number of eligible children are unable to access benefits because of documentation requirements,” said Surekha Sale, senior social worker and Assistant Director at Prayas.

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Sale also questioned the practice of discontinuing assistance to some children of incarcerated parents after the parent is released.

“The child remains vulnerable even after the mother is released. We have seen cases where assistance was stopped despite the family continuing to face hardship. Repeatedly preparing and resubmitting files because of procedural objections is frustrating for both beneficiaries and social workers,” she said.

Social activist Milindkumar Salve, State Coordinator of Sau Ekal Mahila Samiti and a member of the government’s Mission Vatsalya Committee, said many eligible children continue to struggle to access the scheme.

According to Salve, some families wait for years believing their applications are being processed, only to later discover that their proposals were never placed before Child Welfare Committees.

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“Despite district offices maintaining beneficiary records and sending fund requirements to higher authorities, comprehensive state-level data is not readily available in the public domain. Beneficiaries have faced persistent Direct Benefit Transfer-related payment delays in the last two years,” Salve alleged.

RTI responses obtained by iProbono India from district authorities and Women and Child Development offices across Maharashtra revealed significant inconsistencies in record-keeping. While some districts provided detailed information on applications and beneficiaries, others reported incomplete records or nil figures in key categories. Researchers said the absence of a publicly accessible database tracking applications, approvals, rejections and disbursements weakens transparency and accountability.

Children of prisoners were formally brought under the scheme in 2013 following sustained advocacy efforts. However, the report notes that many of the most severe implementation challenges documented involve families affected by incarceration.

In responses placed before the Maharashtra Legislature and through RTI replies obtained by Salve, the Women and Child Development Department maintained that funds had been released under the scheme and attributed delays in individual cases to Aadhaar-bank linkage issues, migration of beneficiaries, changes in contact details and verification processes rather than a blanket shortage of funds.

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A senior department official said around 1.60 lakh children are currently covered under the scheme.

“The approximate number of beneficiaries is 1.60 lakh. We disburse funds through Direct Benefit Transfer as soon as we receive allocations from the Finance Department. As a department, we continuously pursue release of funds from our side,” the official said.

“The number of beneficiaries and registrations have increased because awareness about the scheme has improved. Government schools have also been promoting the scheme among eligible children. We are trying to discourage institutionalisation and promote family-based care. Children should stay with their families rather than government institutions wherever possible, in line with the Juvenile Justice framework,” the official said.

Dr Vijay Raghavan, Project Director of Prayas and Professor at the Centre for Criminology and Justice at TISS, said the scheme remains a crucial intervention but requires significant reforms to fulfil its objectives.

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“Assistance under the scheme is often released in two instalments, typically around October and March, rather than as monthly payments. This creates difficulties for families caring for vulnerable children, who need regular support to meet everyday expenses. Addressing these issues could help extend the scheme’s benefits to many more children than are currently being supported,” he added.