Algarve will have Local Child Guarantee Centers

Ana Mendes Godinho highlighted the fact that this is «the first memorandum to be signed at regional level»

A Memorandum of Commitment for the Implementation of the Local Child Guarantee Centers in the Algarve, the first in a region, was signed on the 1st of March between AMAL and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security.

These are centers that work to prevent and combat social exclusion, guaranteeing access for children and young people in situations of poverty to a set of essential services.

The signing of the Memorandum took place late Wednesday afternoon, at the headquarters of Comunidade Intermunicipal do Algarve-AMAL, in Faro, within the scope of the “Government + Next” initiative, and enables the creation of these Child Guarantee Local Nuclei in the Algarve.

According to AMAL, this is «a fundamental step to guarantee that children and young people in a context of greater difficulties have access to education, housing, health and culture, preventing and combating social exclusion and child poverty and promoting, on the other hand, equal opportunities”.

The Algarve Intermunicipal Community points out that one of its priorities is the Social area, with AMAL currently drawing up the Algarve Intermunicipal Social Development Plan, «a document, moreover, integrated into its Great Plan Options for this year and that will seek to point out ways to respond to the various needs in this area, ensuring a regional approach and promoting the best use of existing resources».

It is work that involves «different social actors, from different areas of intervention», with the aim of contributing to social development in the Algarve.

It will also ensure articulation with strategic documents at national and regional level, with reference to community recommendations and international guidelines at the level, for example, of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In this context, the Intermunicipal Social Development Plan for the Algarve is perfectly aligned with the objectives of creating these Local Child Guarantee Centers, set out in the National Child Guarantee Action Plan 2022-2030 (PAGPI 2022-2030). The implementation of this National Plan implies an integrated social intervention, based on local action and proximity to the phenomena of child and social poverty, which will ensure the adequate identification and mobilization of resources and interventions to solve the problems and deficiencies detected.

 

 

During the session, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, highlighted the fact that this is "the first memorandum to be signed at regional level, which reflects the ability of the 16 municipalities to unite around the same cause, which is an example that the Algarve is setting for the rest of the country».

«The articulation between the regional entities, and in this specific case, between the municipalities, is of particular importance, since the creation of the Local Child Guarantee Centers will allow for proximity to the community and a more effective response and monitoring to these children and young people", added the minister.

In the Algarve, he recalled, “9.938 children and young people (up to the age of 17) are at risk of extreme poverty and this is where we want to intervene right away. This is one of our commitments and our bet».

Ana Mendes Godinho underlined that this Plan is already being implemented, with various measures in the field, giving as an example the fact that 2677 children in the Algarve are already covered by free day care. A measure, according to the minister, «transformative and that is decisive when one intends to fight for equal rights for these children».

For António Pina, president of the Intermunicipal Community of the Algarve, this Memorandum should reflect exactly that: that «the Algarve is united in the purpose of giving increased attention to these young people in order to cut these cycles of poverty from an early age, so that they do not continue into adult life”.

«We want more and better for our children and young people and we, the 16 mayors, understand that this memorandum that we signed here goes in that direction», added the mayor of Olhão.

The president of AMAL took advantage of the minister's presence to draw attention to the fact that the next 2030 Operational Program does not specify funds for this area, as the Algarve needs greater coverage of crèches.

For the implementation of these Child Guarantee Local Nuclei, protocols were also signed with the municipalities of Loulé and Portimão, which have already moved forward with the creation of these spaces. The municipalities of Albufeira are also working in this direction, Faro, Lagos and Aljezur.

 

Protocols with Loulé and Portimão

 

The Memorandum signing session was also attended by Ana Sofia Antunes, Secretary of State for Inclusion, Sónia Almeida, national coordinator of the Child Guarantee, and representatives of the 16 Algarve municipalities and other entities, namely the Social Security, University of Algarve and Regional Directorate of Education.

 

 



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