Free childcare for 4,686 children, highlights Mónica Seidi - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, revealed in her first speech at this week's plenary session that free daycare up to the 16th bracket has covered 4,686 Azorean children, representing savings for families exceeding 4.1 million Euros.

These figures represent a considerable increase compared to 2020, during Socialist governance, when free childcare, applying only up to the 7th bracket, covered only 590 children - eight times fewer.

"In the Azores, the social network for early childhood care operates with the support of partners in the sector, namely private non-profit organisations and, soon, private organisations whose already installed capacity can provide a faster response and help improve access to daycare in the Azores," she said.

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security also said that, under the coalition governments, "805 vacancies have been created in four years, increasing the installed capacity to 3,699 in 2024 compared to 2,894 vacancies in 2020."

From her standpoint, this is not unrelated to the fact that the measure's scope has been broadened up to the 16th bracket, instead of being limited to the 7th, which was possible due to an investment of more than 22.7 million Euros as of December 31, 2024.

"We have works underway on the islands of Terceira, São Jorge, Flores, Pico and São Miguel," she said.

She continued: "In 2022, 2023 and 2024, investments were completed on four islands, namely Terceira, Graciosa, São Miguel and Santa Maria, which increased the installed capacity. Another 94 vacancies have already been authorised this year, including 10 in the municipality of Nordeste and 74 in Ponta Delgada, at the Colégio de São Francisco Xavier, among others.

Mónica Seidi also mentioned "the Regional Government's focus on continuing to increase the number of vacancies according to the demand of recent years."