The President of the Government stressed that the opening of the Santa Rita Social Centre of “Santa Casa da Misericórdia” of Praia da Vitoria, which consists of a nursery, a kindergarten, a free time occupation centre and a day centre for the elderly, was scheduled for the International Children’s Day in order to highlight “the importance we must attach, and we are attaching, to children-support policies.”

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Carlos César said that his Government acknowledges “the relevance of the technical and financial efforts that have been carried out, ensuring the effective integration of thousands of children into the learning and socialisation mechanisms that precede their individual paths, which he hope that they be successful.” 

The Santa Rita Social Centre, which will support another one hundred and fifty users, including children and elderly people, represented an investment over one million and one hundred thousand Euros, of which over 915,000 Euros were subsidised by the Government.

Taking into account that the new infrastructure will address the difficulties of families in juggling their professional lives with the provision of care to children- but also to become a response of the public service promoting education and integration - Carlos César said that his Government will award priority status to “housing, household income, reduction of poverty, employment of people, their emotional balance and access to opportunities.”

Fir the President of the Government, despite the existence of difficulties, the capacity of the Government-financed equipment network addressed at children doubled in the last ten years. Presently, it comprises 257 services, covering 10,506 users, which are annually supported by the Government in a global amount of about twenty-seven million Euros.

“This is a very large sum and we expect to continue to apply it well,” the President of the Government stated, adding that a set of measures intended to prevent and combat all forms of violence against children and youngsters are at implementation stage.”

Furthermore, there other ongoing projects aimed at extending the response of some services, mainly on Terceira island, such as the case of the interventions carried out at the “Casa do Povo” of Santa Bárbara, “which enable the operation of a free time occupation centre with capacity for twenty-five children and a day centre for elderly people with thirty places, thus providing an innovative response, particularly in a rural area where the elderly support area was non-existent until now.”

With the renewal works undertaken at the premises of the “Casa do Povo” of Terra Chã, the Government will ensure a service with capacity for sixty nursery-aged children and thirty preschool-aged children, whose opening is expected to take place later this year.

The President of the Government revealed that with these works the funds allocated by the Government reach to one million and eight thousand Euros, while the renewal works of the D. Pedro V Home in Praia da Vitoria and the works of the elderly residence in São Brás, both in progress, represent an effort of over two and a half million Euros.

“Thus, we have reasons to be proud of the social support investment programme of ongoing in the Region, and we are aware of the coverage gaps that still exist. Today, the opening of this social centre evidences the progresses made and fills another gap,” concluded Carlos César.