PM CARES for Children Scheme

Summary of the Scheme
Name of Scheme	PM CARES for Children Scheme
Launch Date	29 May 2021
Benefits	₹10 lakh financial corpus, ₹5 lakh health insurance, education assistance and ₹20,000 annual scholarship
Beneficiary	Eligible children who lost their parents, surviving parent, legal guardian or adoptive parent(s) due to COVID-19
Nodal Ministry	Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India
Subscription	Subscribe here to get Update Regarding Scheme
Mode of Apply	Online through the PM CARES for Children Portal

PM CARES for Children Scheme: ₹10 Lakh Corpus, Health Cover and Education Support for Children Who Lost Caregivers to COVID-19

The pandemic left many children without a parent or caregiver. The PM CARES for Children Scheme gives eligible children a ₹10 lakh financial corpus, ₹5 lakh health insurance, education support and a ₹20,000 annual scholarship for Classes 1 to 12.

Check the portal before you act. The source says the PM CARES for Children Portal currently shows no public registration option. Eligible children or caregivers should go through the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or District Magistrate. The death must have occurred between 11 March 2020 and 5 May 2023.

What is the scheme?

The Government of India launched it on 29 May 2021, and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) administers it. It brings together support from several government programmes: education, healthcare, care and rehabilitation, and financial security. It is implemented across all States, UTs and districts. It is expected to continue until the year in which every identified beneficiary turns 23.

Scheme at a glance

Main benefits

• ₹10 lakh corpus. The Government makes an age-based contribution so the corpus reaches ₹10 lakh when the child turns 18. A monthly stipend is paid from 18 to 23 years, and the ₹10 lakh is received as a lump sum at 23. It is not an immediate cash payment to a minor.
• ₹5 lakh health insurance per child per year under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, until the child turns 23
• ₹4,000 a month under Mission Vatsalya for eligible children below 18 staying with relatives. Children in Child Care Institutions get support through the institution.
• ₹20,000 a year scholarship for Classes 1 to 12
• School admission support in suitable Government, Government-aided, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and other eligible schools
• Higher education: education loan with interest subsidy under the Central Sector Interest Subsidy Scheme, ₹50,000 a year under the AICTE Swanath Scholarship for eligible technical courses, and supernumerary seats (two per course per institute in Polytechnics, and seats in higher education institutions as applicable)
• One-time ex-gratia of ₹50,000 per deceased parent per family, subject to the provisions

Age-based contribution

The deposit depends on the child’s age when the account opens, and age is rounded up to the next complete year. A child aged 4 months counts as 1, and a child aged 12 years 9 months counts as 13.

Who is eligible?

The child must:

1. Have lost both parents, the surviving parent, the legal guardian, or adoptive parent(s) or a single adoptive parent to COVID-19
2. Have faced the death between 11 March 2020 and 5 May 2023
3. Have been under 18 on the date of death
4. Be an identified and approved beneficiary under the scheme

Documents that may be needed

Requirements vary with the case and verification.

• Child’s Aadhaar or other valid ID
• Death certificate of the parent(s), guardian or adoptive parent
• Proof of relationship with the deceased
• Proof of the child’s date of birth
• Proof of address, where required
• Bank or Post Office account details, and Aadhaar-linked bank details for scholarship payments
• School or educational institution details
• Passport-size photographs of the child and parents
• Details of the caregiver or guardian, where applicable
• Any other document the CWC, District Magistrate or concerned authority asks for

How the process works

The scheme follows a government-led identification and verification process.

1. Approach the nearby Child Welfare Committee (CWC), District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) or District Magistrate.
2. Give the child’s details and documents.
3. The CWC, with the DCPU, verifies the child’s details and situation.
4. The CWC sends its recommendation to the District Magistrate.
5. The District Magistrate reviews the case and confirms eligibility.
6. After approval, Form-1 is used to open the child’s PM CARES for Children Post Office account.
7. Submit the details and documents to the Post Office to open and validate the account.
8. Once validated, the financial support is credited.
9. The child is then linked to the education, health, child protection and other support.

Registration doesn’t automatically mean approval. Benefits start only after the child is identified and approved.

Conditions to note

• The ₹10 lakh is a corpus, with the stipend starting at 18 and the lump sum at 23
• Scholarships and other benefits follow the rules of the respective supporting schemes
• Health insurance follows PM-JAY rules

Related scheme

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya offers residential schooling for eligible girls and is one of the school options under this scheme.

Need help?

• Guidelines queries: 011-23381970, cw3division-mwcd@gov.in
• Technical queries: 011-23388074, pmcares-children.wcd@nic.in

Frequently asked questions

When was the scheme launched?
On 29 May 2021.

Who is eligible?
Children under 18 at the time of the death who lost parents, a surviving parent, a legal guardian or adoptive parent(s) to COVID-19 between 11 March 2020 and 5 May 2023.

How much health insurance is given?
₹5 lakh a year under PM-JAY, until the child turns 23.

How much scholarship do school children get?
₹20,000 a year for Classes 1 to 12.

Can children living with relatives get monthly support?
Yes, ₹4,000 a month under Mission Vatsalya for eligible children below 18.

Where is the account opened?
At a Post Office, after approval, using Form-1.

Does registration automatically mean approval?
No. The child must be verified and approved first.