Free kindergartens will be extended to local authority institutions in 2024, but only after vacancies in the social sector have been exhausted, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security said on Tuesday.
The announcement was made at a hearing of Minister Ana Mendes Godinho in the Budget and Finance and Labour, Social Security and Integration committees to discuss the next state budget.
In her first speech, the minister said the Government Budget 2024 (OE2024) “strengthens the welfare state” with “historic” value, stressing that the option is to “ensure the collective sharing of gains in the fight against inequality”.
He noted that 35 billion euros are included in social investment, “12 billion more than in 2015,” including 2.3 billion from increases in family benefits, child guarantee benefits or free kindergartens.
“We have expanded free kindergarten to 120,000 children by 2024, covering children of all ages. There will also be an expansion of free nurseries in local authorities in 2024 when there is no response from the Social Security registered network,” he said. .
He also said that starting next year, the payment of family benefits will become automatic.
He argued that the free kindergarten “is transforming lives and transforming Portugal, it will serve for years to come and that no one can stop it.”
“Ensuring inclusion means ensuring growth and development,” he added.
The Minister noted that this measure is also important from the point of view of equal access to the labor market, especially for women, noting that today is National Equal Pay Day and that the gap between men and women has decreased from 16% in 2015 to 11.9%. .
Regarding the social sector, the minister added that 848 social projects worth €823 million have been approved, “dedicated to responding to the needs of children, people with disabilities, older people and the most vulnerable.”
He added that a new notification will be issued in November to create an additional 12,000 nursery seats.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.