The role of voluntary organizations and their participation in social welfare activities has been well recognized by Government both as an important resource as well as to emphasis that social problems and social issues require active participation of the community, Government and the voluntary organizations. The policy of the Government is to promote, stimulate and develop them and to provide opportunities to train their manpower so that the commitment of voluntary organization is mobilized for the well-being of the community. The scheme focuses on projects that aim to tackle problem areas which are relatively unserviced but where need is urgent; projects which fill in essential gaps in existing services and complement them so as to maximize the impact; projects which provide integrated services, all the components need not be financially supported by one source; projects which build the capacity of the individual to be self-reliant rather than dependent; projects located in backward, rural and tribal areas urban slums which are poorly serviced by existing services; projects not covered by any of the existing schemes of the Department of Women and Child Development including the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB); projects to mobilize public opinion and support to tackle pressing social problems.

Assistance under his scheme is given to voluntary organizations working in the field of Women and Child Development. Department of Women and Child Development has adopted the policy of promoting, developing and assisting voluntary organizations to implement welfare schemes for women and children. Under most of the schemes grants are given only for projects. However, voluntary organizations also need some support to maintain their central office so that various activities can be carried out in a smooth manner, as the efficient running of the central office is a vital input for its activities. The Department of Women and Child Development have, therefore, a scheme for giving maintenance grants to voluntary organizations.

This scheme was introduced realizing the need for skill upgradation to equip the tribal youths for employment/ self-employment. It also aims to improve the socio-economic condition of the tribal youth by enhancing their income. The scheme covers all states and union territories, the only restriction being that free vocational training facilities are extended only to the tribal people. Under the scheme 100% central assistance will be given to States/ UTs/ NGOs for setting up and running of vocational training centres.

Under the scheme financial assistance is extended to undertake research/ evaluation/ monitoring studies, organize seminars/ conferences/ workshops, capacity building for monitoring activities, promotion of innovative activities etc. in the area of nutrition, women and child development The objectives of the programme are:

• To sponsor research/evaluation studies
• To sponsor research studies to individual scholar
• To sponsor seminars/ workshops/ conferences.
• To provide publication grant.
• To provide grants for monitoring activities/training of personnel/promotion of innovative activities.

The Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) offers assistance for setting Lip of such projects on a sustained basis for poor and needy women both in urban slums and in rural areas. NORAD scheme aims to combine the necessary linkages in traditional as well as non-traditional activities to implement programmes in collaboration with industrial units. NORAD assistance is to be utilised in giving assistance to projects sponsored by public undertakings/ corporations/ women's development centres of universities/ autonomous organizations/voluntary organizations for setting up of "Employment and Income Generating Training-cum-Employment cum-production Units for Women." In cases where the sponsoring organization is not in a position to assume direct responsibility and absorb trainees as its own employees, emphasis should be given on formation of a co-operative of women producers as a modality of employment. NORAD assistance can also be utilized for assistance in the formulation, appraisal and documentation of Projects/programmes. Emphasis of the project must be on income generating activities with the aim of achieving self-reliance on a Sustained basis.

The Programme of STEP aims to make a significant impact on women in the traditional sectors by upgrading skills and providing employment to such women on a project basis by mobilizing women in viable groups, improving skills, arranging for support services, providing access to credit, awareness generation, gender sensitization, nutrition education, sensitization of project functionaries. Thus, STEP advocates an integrated package of inputs aiming at the integrated development of poor women in traditional sectors. The ultimate endeavour of each project is to develop the group to thrive on a self sustaining basis in the market place with the minimal Governmental support and intervention after the project period is over. The programme of STEP advocates the objective of extending training for upgradation of skills & sustainable employment for women through a variety of action oriented projects which employ women in large numbers. The Scheme covers 8 traditional sectors of employment, viz. Agriculture, Small Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries, Handlooms, Handi- crafts, Khadi and Village Industries and Sericulture. Two more sectors, namely, Social Forestry and Waste Land Development have been added later.

The scheme was launched with the long-term objective of the all-round empowerment of women, especially socially and economically, by ensuring their direct access to, and control over, resources through a sustained process of mobilization and convergence of all the on going sectoral programmes. The vision is to develop empowered women who will demand their rights from family, community and government; have increased access to, and control over, material, social and political resources; have enhanced awareness and improved skills; be able to raise issues of common concern through mobilization and networking.

This scheme has been designed with a flexible and innovative approach to cater to the requirement of various types of women in distress in diverse situations under different conditions. The Swadhar Scheme aims to address the specific vulnerability of each of the groups of women in difficult circumstances through a home-based holistic and integrated approach. The objectives of the scheme are:
To provide primary need of shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women/girls living in difficult circumstances who are without any social and economic support;
To provide emotional support and counseling to such women;
To rehabilitate them socially and economically through education, awareness, skill up gradation and personality development through behavioral training etc.;
To arrange for specific clinical, legal and other support for women/girls in need of those intervention by linking and networking with other organizations in both Govt. & Non- Govt. sector on case to case basis;
To provide for help line or other facilities to such women in distress; and To provide such other services as will be required for the support and rehabilitation to such women in distress.

The scheme focuses on women and girls belonging to the disadvantaged and under privileged groups. These homes are meant primarily for those women and girls who are either exposed to moral danger or are victims of family discord and the resulting strain of relationship or emotional disturbances. The effort has to be to help the women to rehabilitate themselves within a short period of time through institutional services where counseling and guidance, medical and psychiatric check-up and treatment, facilities of development of skills and relationships are provided. They need help and guidance to regain confidence in themselves to meet the situation and to acquire skills to become self-reliant and to develop relationships with people that could help in the re-establishment of their status in society. These homes should not be equated with destitute homes or orphanages.
Financial assistance is provided to institutions/organizations with experience in running Social Defence Programmes. Preference is given to voluntary organizations that already have sufficient infrastructure to run the homes. Assistance of the CSWB or the Ministry can be sought to set up a Training-cum- Production Centre for the benefit of not only the residents but also the poor residents of the locality. Vocational Training Programme, for which the State Social Welfare Advisory Board gives financial assistance can also be introduced in theInstitution.
Implementation of this scheme has been transferred to the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), which will sanction admissible grants to homes. However, the Department of Women and Child Development would deal with all the policy matters of the scheme. Child Development Programme Officers (CDPOs) have been designated as nodal officers for all schemes of Department of Women and Child Development.

CFNEUs organize live demonstrations supported by lecture-cum- discussions, film and slide shows and exhibitions on various aspects of food, nutrition and health in collaboration with the concerned Departments of the State Governments, Educational institutions and Voluntary organizations. The basic objectives of the schemes are:-

The scheme provides supplementary food of high quality to vulnerable groups particularly pre-school children, pregnant and lactating mothers attending ICDS or creches/ balwadies run by the NGOs. The type of food prepared at these units would invariably be the 'Ready to Eat' RTE type prepared by roasted, cereals and pulses or the freshly cooked food. A one-time UNICEF financial assistance of Rs. 5.0 lakhs maximum is given for this project and thereafter, the project should be self-sustainable. Therefore, a tie-up with the State Government/ organizations running the feeding programmes is necessary to make the project viable. The unit should be set in close proximity of ICDS project. The number of beneficiaries should be about 7500. The NGOs which are already engaged in nutrition and health activities and have experience of running the supplementary feeding programmes in creches/ balwadies/ ICDS and have firm linkages with the State Governments for supply of supplementary food to feeding programmes run by the Government are eligible for the assistance under this programme.

Financial assistance would be provided to the voluntary agencies to run early childhood (pre-schools) education centres as adjuncts of primary/middle school run either by Government, local body or private management, particularly for the disadvantaged sections in rural/ tribal/ backward areas, in nine educationally backward States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajashthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. To avoid any duplication of efforts in an area, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres run with central assistance under this scheme should be in blocks and villages that do not have similar centres run by ICDS/ Social Welfare Sector or any other schemes of Government or non-Government body.