MVF follows an ‘area-based approach’ as against a target based approach. It seeks to address the rights of the entire universe of children- both in school and out of school- in the 5-14 years age group in its area of operation. This approach deems all children out of school as child labour and understands that being out of school is intrinsically hazardous to their growth and well-being. MV Foundation also ensures that every child attending school does so without any disruption until she reaches class 10 since there is no guarantee that the child does not get pushed out of school to join the labour force again.

MV Foundation’s approach has the twin responsibility of organizing community for public action and pressure on the system to deliver services. Simultaneously, it seeks to prepare the concerned public institutions to take care of children and their education in formal schools.

MV Foundation also understands the need to engage with policy makers to bring about systemic changes to address the needs of the first generation learners, older children rejoining schools after a long absence, released child labourers and girls who have sought education by stepping out of marriages and other forms of violation of their rights.

MVF does not set up parallel institutions to the schools, social welfare hostels, gram panchayats and other state institutions. The MVF program has blended with the existing government programs enriching rather than supplanting them.

MVF strongly believes that to be replicable it must work through existing institutions and build community pressure/support to strengthen these institutions and their capacities to ensure that they commit themselves to protection of child rights and education Much of the replicability of MVF’s programme is due to the clear set of principles, ‘the non-negotiables’, that it has evolved and a simple message that ‘no child must work and every child attends school’.

MVF has successfully implemented the programme in tribal and forest regions, coastal belts, deserts, dry land farms, urban belts, among fisherfolk, nomads, tribals, landless poor agricultural labourers, migrant labour, quarry workers and with urban workers in the informal sector