The village of Urzelina and the municipality of Velas, São Jorge Island, will now have a new day nursery with capacity for 16 children.

The new social equipment, with a budget of 41,000 Euros, was opened on Tuesday by the Regional Secretary for Labour and Social Solidarity, Ana Paula Marques. The day nursery aims "to provide a response to the needs of families in this village as well as of the neighbouring villages of Santo Amaro and Manadas."

According to the government official, the renewal works to transform a former school building into a day nursery in the village of Urzelina will "better prepare the this village and the municipality of Velas to respond to the demands of the modern society. This new social response strengthens the existing responses in the area of childhood and youth, which currently support 161 children. "

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Ana Paula Marques also highlighted the role of women in the last decades, particularly their entry into the labour market. In this context, the government official considered the implementation of support policies for families as "indispensable," particularly the implementation of a comprehensive programme to expand social equipment for early childhood. With this measure, parents will have more time to dedicate themselves to their jobs and it also creates the necessary conditions for the development and well as the social and cultural integration of younger generations."

In fact, the opening of this day nursery embodies these goals, the government official said, recalling the financial investment made by the Regional Government in order to improve the social responses of Azorean communities.

The Regional Secretary praised the board of the Santa Catarina Institute for the commitment and work, recalling that joint efforts should always have the purpose of "ensuring the well-being of families and development conditions of Azorean children and youngsters."