The Centre recognizes that child care is not just the responsibility of women and families but also of institutions in the public sphere like the University where workers/students, especially women who are also parents are constrained by the simultaneous responsibilities of childcare and work. Hence the University has provided for the Day Care Centre on the campus with nominal fees so that all the staff can access its services.  

The University of Pune has declared a Charter for Women as a step towards empowering women and protecting their rights. In its guiding principles, the Charter underlines the need for an environment that should be conducive to the special needs of women in order to enable them to avail equal opportunities. This involves the provision of proper infrastructural facilities for women including a Day Care Centre for the children of all employees and students on campus.  

Thus, the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Day Care Centre (DCC) was established in September 2002 on campus and is monitored by Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Women’s Studies Centre. The DCC bears the legacy of the work done by Savitribai Phule and the ideal of social motherhood as envisioned by Savitribai Phule guides its working.  Savitribai Phule cared for children rejected by society and adopted an orphan. Importantly she reached out to girls, especially those from the downtrodden sections, who were denied access to education and made them self-reliant. This guiding legacy ensures the day care centre works to take care of children, to shape their development and also to enable working parents to pursue work/education without anxiety about their children.  

The DCC is open for children between the ages of 3 months to 10 years of teaching and non-teaching staff and students of the University. Timings are set keeping in mind the special needs of employee parents and hence the DCC is open from 9 am to 6 pm. The DCC provides variety of facilities keeping in mind the different needs of specific age groups. Food is provided considering nutritional needs of different age-groups. To ensure age appropriate stimulation, the activities for children are divided across two groups – pre-primary (2 ½ to 4 years) and primary (4 to 10 years). 

There are two large rooms for playing and studying, one dining room, one room for activity, a well equipped kitchen and an office which ensures adequate space for children and their activities. At present, the DCC houses 30 children and is staffed with 4 ayahs, 1cleaner and 1 supervisor.  

The DCC ensures child friendly environment with large colourful displays and activity centres with play materials. It has infrastructural facilities like toys, mattresses, cradles for young children, colourful crockery, cycles and child friendly furniture that ensure children are comfortable within the DCC. Outdoor infrastructure including swings, slides, see-saw and jumping pad have been installed for the children. To foster a learning environment, educational CDs of rhymes, alphabets, stories and songs are screened for the children.