The Women and Child Development Department was created as a separate Department during 1994-95. Since inception, it has been working for the overall development of children and women through a host of specially designed schemes and programmes. It also deals with schemes for the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disability. The year witnessed launch of some new schemes like MAMATA, Bhimabhoi Samarthya Abhiyan and systemic changes like strengthening of the Decentralized Feeding Programme of ICDS. The focus of activities continues to be on the empowerment and entitlements of children, women, and persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

Organisation

The Department of Women and Child Development Department has a composite Directorate and is divided into thirteen Sections. The Directory of Officers is at Annexure-1.

The Department has an elaborate field formation with the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) to assist the Collector in each District and a Sub-divisional Social Welfare Officer (SSWO) in every sub-division. Besides this, there are Social Educational Organizers (SEOs) and Lady Social Educational Organizers (LSEOs) at the Block level who assist the Block Administration in implementing the social welfare programmes. In the district, each ICDS project is headed by a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), the project is further divided into 5-6 Sectors. Each sector is headed by a Supervisor, who oversees the work of 20-25 Anganwadi Centres (AWC) functioning at the village level. The Department has five statutory bodies, viz.

• State Commission for Women (SCW)
• State Council for Child Welfare (SCCW), State Social Welfare Board (SSWB), 
• State Commissioner for Persons Disability (SCPD)
• State Commissioner for Protection of Child Rights(SCPCR).