Gharaunda-Group Home for Adults Scheme

What is the Gharaunda-Group Home for Adults Scheme?

Gharaunda-Group Home for Adults is a scheme of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, a statutory body set up under the National Trust Act, 1999. The Trust functions under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

According to the National Trust, Gharaunda addresses one of the deepest fears of parents of adults with disabilities: what happens to their child after the parents are gone. The scheme funds group homes that give adults with disabilities an assured home and a minimum quality of care for the rest of their lives, including basic medical care, vocational activity and daily support.

Gharaunda is a grant-in-aid scheme. The National Trust does not run the homes directly. Instead it registers eligible organisations, funds them to set up and operate a Gharaunda centre, and pays a monthly grant per resident. Families access the scheme by enrolling an adult with a disability into one of these registered centres.

Who is eligible for Gharaunda?

The scheme has two sets of eligibility conditions: one for the adult who will live in the home, and one for the organisation that runs it.

Adults who can be enrolled as residents:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must have one of the four disabilities covered by the National Trust Act, 1999 to autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability (mental retardation) or multiple disabilities — certified on a valid disability certificate.

Organisations that can run a centre (Registered Organisations):

• Must be registered with the National Trust.
• Must be a valid registered body under the applicable disability legislation.
• Must have at least two years of experience working with persons with disabilities, including at least one year in National Trust disabilities.
• Must own land or hold a lease of 10 years or more with a renewal provision.
• Must not be blacklisted by any government body.

Who cannot apply: an individual or family cannot apply to the National Trust for a personal cash grant under Gharaunda. There is no direct-benefit-transfer component paid to a resident's own bank account. Adults below 18 are not eligible for the adult group home, and organisations without National Trust registration cannot receive funding. Families who want home-based support for a minor or short-term relief should look at the Trust's other schemes such as Samarth (residential and respite care) or Disha (early intervention).

How much does Gharaunda provide?

According to the National Trust, funding to a registered organisation running a Gharaunda centre includes:

The National Trust funds residents in a 1:1 ratio, for every resident from a Low Income Group (including Below Poverty Line) family, one resident from above the LIG threshold is expected. This keeps centres financially balanced while ensuring poorer families are covered. Residents are also expected to be enrolled under Niramaya, the Trust's health insurance scheme, which reimburses up to Rs 1,00,000 a year in medical expenses.

What documents are required for Gharaunda enrolment?

How to apply for Gharaunda

For a family enrolling an adult into an existing centre:

1. Find a National Trust registered organisation running a Gharaunda centre near you. The list is available on the National Trust portal or from your district disability office.
2. Approach the centre and request an assessment of the adult with a disability. The centre conducts an assessment test to decide suitability.
3. Submit the enrolment form along with the disability certificate, proof of age, guardian ID and, where relevant, income or BPL and legal guardianship certificates.
4. Complete verification with the centre and collect the enrolment confirmation.

For an organisation seeking registration and funding:

1. Register your organisation with the National Trust and complete the online Gharaunda application form, paying the application fee of Rs 1,000.
2. Upload scanned supporting documents and post the printed form with documents to the National Trust within seven days.
3. Await the National Trust's response, generally within 15 days, followed by inspection and sanction.

Help and contact

• National Trust helpline: 011-43850700
• Website: nationaltrust.nic.in/gharaunda-scheme
• Registered organisations and district Divyangjan offices can also guide families to the nearest Gharaunda centre.

Gharaunda is best understood as an institutional care scheme rather than a cash-benefit scheme. Families should verify a centre's National Trust registration before enrolling, and there is no fee payable to any agent for "getting a name added" to a centre.