The Regional Secretary for Social Solidarity announced today on the island of São Miguel that the creation of a daycare centre in the parish of Santo António with capacity for 44 children of various ages will provide a response to the entire northern coast of the municipality of Ponta Delgada. 

Andreia Cardoso spoke at the opening of the headquarters of ADI - Association for Intergenerational Development, a project supported by the Regional Government in the amount of 18,500 Euros for the redevelopment of an old milk station granted by the Parish Council of Santo António. 

"This daycare centre will certainly be important, especially for children, but it will also be essential for their parents, taking into account the contribution provided by this social response in reconciling their personal and professional lives," stressed the Regional Secretary. 

According to her, the Regional Government allocated 27 thousand Euros to the technical project for the construction of a daycare centre, “seeing that it is another pillar in the construction of a social and territorial cohesion focused on one of the priority areas set out by the Government." 

In this regard, Andreia Cardoso announced that the pre-contract agreement for the construction of this social infrastructure has already been signed, an investment of 125 thousand Euros. 
 
“We are implementing a true strategy for the expansion and qualification of the network of social infrastructures and responses to support children and young people. It has already managed to provide daycare centres in all the municipalities of the Azores, without exception, and now in more rural areas,” said the government official. 

Andreia Cardoso recalled that the Azores have already managed to surpass the average coverage rate recommended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in terms daycare centres and leisure centres. 
 
“In the Azores, we can be proud to be among the best of the best, a status that makes perfect sense when, above all, it is reflected in the well-being and development of our children with the conditions that facilitate the daily lives of their parents,” said the Regional Secretary.