Samarth Scheme – Respite & Residential Care
Residential & Respite Care Support for Persons with Disabilities | Safe Care, Support & Opportunities for a Better Life
What is Samarth Scheme?
Samarth (Respite Care) Scheme is a scheme of the National Trust that provides respite and residential care for Persons with Disabilities covered under the National Trust Act. It is especially intended to support orphans, abandoned persons, families in crisis and persons with disabilities from BPL/LIG families, including destitute persons.
The scheme provides a safe group-home environment with care, basic medical support and acceptable living standards. It also gives family members and caregivers an opportunity to take some time away from continuous caregiving responsibilities while ensuring that the person with disability continues to receive appropriate care.
Who is Samarth Scheme For?
Samarth is meant for persons with disabilities covered under the National Trust framework, including:
- Autism
- Cerebral Palsy
- Intellectual Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
The scheme provides group-home support for different age groups.
What Does Samarth Provide?
Samarth Centres are designed to provide a safe residential and respite-care environment with appropriate support.
Key Facilities Include:
🏠 Group Home / Residential Care
❤️ Respite Care for families
👨⚕️ Basic medical care
🧑🏫 Special education & vocational support
🧑🦽 Caregiving assistance
🧩 Activity & recreation facilities
🍽️ Food and hygienic living facilities
🏃 Physiotherapy / Occupational Therapy support
🎯 Skill-building and meaningful activities
The exact facilities and services can vary according to the Samarth Centre.
Residential & Group Home Facility
Samarth Centres provide group-home facilities for all age groups, with adequate care and acceptable living standards.
The centres are expected to provide basic medical care through professional doctors and maintain appropriate caregiving and support staff. A standard Samarth Centre has a batch size of 30 PwDs, with the applicable scheme provisions governing enrolment and funding.
Skill Development & Activities
Samarth is not only about residential care. Centres are also expected to provide opportunities for activities, education, vocational training and skill development according to the abilities and needs of the beneficiaries.
These activities can help beneficiaries maintain their existing abilities, develop functional skills and participate more actively in daily life.
Who Can Enrol?
A person generally needs to:
- Have one of the disabilities covered under the National Trust Act
- Meet the applicable eligibility requirements
- Provide the required disability and identity documents
- Complete enrolment through a Registered Organisation (RO) running a Samarth Centre
The concerned Samarth Centre can assess the person’s requirements before enrolment.
How to Enrol in Samarth?
Why is Samarth Important?
Samarth provides an important support system for families who may need temporary respite or residential care for a person with disability.
The scheme aims to ensure that beneficiaries receive care, safety, basic medical support and meaningful activities in a structured group-home environment, while families get additional support in managing their caregiving responsibilities.
Important Note
Samarth Centres are operated through Registered Organisations of the National Trust. Availability, admission procedure, residential arrangements, charges and facilities may differ from one centre to another.
Also, the National Trust has a Samarth-cum-Gharaunda merged scheme for certain Registered Organisations, so parents should check the current scheme status with the concerned centre before applying.
