Child Support Program (CSP)

           

Experience at national and global level shows that linking Cash Support Programme to the poorest and most vulnerable communities with investment in human development can be a very effective way of helping the poor to break out of the poverty trap. In a situation such as we find in most poor areas of Pakistan, where poor families are unable to access basic social services because of lack of resources, Cash Support Programme can provide incentives to mobilize the poorest households to keep their children to go to school. In view of the above, a Child Support Programme (CSP) has been initiated for implementation through the existing Food Support Programme (FSP). This programme provides additional funds to the children of those FSP registered families  who are already enrolled in Food Support Programme (FSP).

            Government of Pakistan has approved to pilot and evaluate the impact of offering additional cash transfers conditional on the chronically poor families for sending their children to school. Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, will administer the programme. The Pilot Phase has been extended over two financial years i.e. F.Y. 2006-07 & 07-08. In F.Y. 2006-07 programme started in three (3) selected districts and in F.Y. 07-08 the programme will be scaled up to ten (10) districts. This CSP Pilot is aimed at testing the hypothesis that linking Additional Cash Support to the poorest families with their commitment to invest in human development can be a useful complement to ongoing efforts towards achieving Universal Primary Education. This is because of the extremely low primary enrollment and high dropout rate among the poorest families in Pakistan, who are the target group in this programme. If the pilot leads to a positive evaluation, further scaling up of the CSP in a phased way can contribute to help the chronically poor break out of the poverty trap through investment in human development.

        Objectives

• Increase the number of children in primary education towards the achievement of Universal Primary Education

• Promote the investment in human capital for poverty reduction

• Provide additional resources to larger and poor families having children

Salient Features: 

• Child Support Programme is an add-on-programme of Food Support Programme.

• Families will stay in the CSP for maximum up to 5 years.

•  Each beneficiary family is entitled to receive Rs. 200/- pm for one child and Rs. 350/- if they have two or more  children of school going age who are enrolled and going to school.

• Families with children enrolled in non-profitable community schools shall also qualify for the benefits.

• Children have to attend at least 80% of classes.  Payment to the families of children not attending at least 80 classes shall be stopped till they comply with the requirement.

• A national awareness campaign/public information campaign has been launched through print and electronic media.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Having been selected as participant in the FSP.

• Having Children of the age between 5-12 years.

• One or more children between the ages 5-12 years enrolled in primary school.

• The children must pass the final examinations.

• Must attend 80% classes

Information To The Beneficiaries About Payment:

• PBM District Offices inform the beneficiaries by announcing CSP payment through loud speakers and mega phone in the concerned district, pasting UC wise beneficiaries list in union councils and even Mosques are utilized for this purpose. Further PBM district officials explain the rules of the project to eligible families only in and outside the office premises. All this includes the amount, number of payments, mode of first and subsequent payments and how to comply with the education requirements.

• The beneficiaries have to go to the nearby branch of Payment Agency (Post Office/Bank) along with CSP Agreement Form,  National Identity Card,  FSP Pass Book and collect the payment.

Programme Districts 2006-07:

            In pilot phase, 3 districts (known as treatment districts) have been selected country wide where programme has been implemented. One control district in each province/region has also been selected where the program is not implemented but complete survey of FSP families is to be conducted so that at the time of evaluation the progress in the treatment districts shall be compared with control districts. Detail of treatment and control districts is as under:

Treatment Districts                                                   Control Districts

            Punjab-Bhakkar                                                                       Layyah

            Sindh-Tharparkar                                                                     Badin

            NWFP-Kohistan                                                                      Batagram

Budget Along with Scaling Up Schedule:

• Pilot phase-I in 3 districts in F.Y 2006-07 and pilot phase-II covering 10% in F.Y 2007-08. Administrative cost will be met out of FSP administrative budget.

• Upon successful evaluation the project shall be scaled-up in a phased manner.

10%   in F.Y. 2008-09

30% in F.Y. 2009-10

60% in F.Y. 2010-11

100% F.Y 2011-12 Onward

Current Status of Implementation:

• Data has been computerized.
• Admissions of children in primary schools have been made.
• 82 % beneficiaries have received subsidy in the 1^st CSP Payment.

(SUMMARY)

Payment in Three Districts

Province	District	No. of Beneficiaries	Amount to be paid
Punjab	Bhakkar	4197	2,292,750/-
Sindh	Tharparkar	4746	4,352,400/-
NWFP	Kohistan	4330	4,208,100/-
TOTAL		13273	10,853,250

District Tharparkar (Sindh) 

Date	Total No. of Beneficiaries Were to be paid	Total Number of Beneficiaries paid till 15-04-2008	Beneficiaries that could not be paid	Percentage Paid Beneficiaries
15-03-2008 to 15-04-2008	4746	4152	594	88%

 

 

 

District Bhakkar (Punjab)           

Date	Total No. of Beneficiaries Were to be paid	Total Number of Beneficiaries paid till 15-04-2008	Beneficiaries that could not be paid	Percentage Paid Beneficiaries
15-03-2008 to 15-04-2008	4197	3266	931	77%

 

 

 

 

     

District Kohistan (NWFP) 

Date	Total No. of Beneficiaries Were to be paid	Total Number of Beneficiaries paid till 15-04-2008	Beneficiaries that could not be paid	Percentage Paid Beneficiaries
15-03-2008 to 15-04-2008	4330	3498	832	80.78

 

 

 

 

 

Planned Activities for Implementation:

• EDOs provide lists of enrolled children to PBM for its approval by DFSSC.
• Request by Provincial/Regional Offices for transfer of funds.
• On receipt of request for transfer of funds is transferred to Provincial/Regional accounts.
• Payment of subsidy is being made on quarter basis.
• Selection of new districts for piloting 2^nd phase.