The Government has authorized on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, at the proposal of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, the distribution of 8.4 million euros to Cantabria for the protection of families and attention to child poverty.
The total investment proposed by the Ministry led by Pablo Bustinduy to transfer to autonomous communities and cities is about 200 million euros (198.7 million euros), and is going to be used, in addition to strengthening social services, to finance programs to protect families and care for child poverty.
During the press conference following the Council of Ministers, Pablo Bustinduy wanted to emphasize that these actions should be aimed at improving the situation of the most vulnerable families and those with unique protection needs, such as single-parent families, large families or families living in rural areas.
With this objective, 65 million euros have been included in this item, of which 1.5 million euros correspond to Cantabria, specifically intended for social intervention projects and benefits for families at risk of poverty, with the objective set by the minister to combat situations of vulnerability in these homes. Likewise, they can be used to cover basic needs such as hygiene or the purchase of food and clothing. Also to finance educational needs, such as the purchase of school supplies or aid for the dining room, as well as aid to pay rent or basic household supplies, among others.
Another of the objectives of this investment of the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption is to facilitate the reconciliation between family life and work of the most vulnerable families, by financing projects that cover expenses related to children's schools and with the support of specific needs of attention that the children and adolescents of these families require. One example is the VECA Program, which allows them to participate in educational, cultural and leisure activities during school holiday periods. In addition, programs will be funded so that these children and adolescents have access to a balanced, healthy and nutritious diet also in periods where school canteens are not attended.
Funding and strengthening social services
Likewise, within the aid package, 25 million euros are reserved, of which 375,000 euros correspond to Cantabria, to strengthen the social services teams responsible for preventing and detecting any type of risk of violence towards children, an initiative that is framed in the implementation of Organic Law 8/2021, on the integral protection of children and adolescents against violence (LOPIVI).
On the other hand, this investment highlights the more than 100 million euros (108.7 million euros), of which 6.5 million euros correspond to Cantabria, which are transferred to finance the network of social services of primary care of local corporations, including benefits such as home help and support for the unit of coexistence, as well as other areas of social services such as the prevention of social exclusion of families with fewer resources and the insertion of those who need it.
The proposal to share this investment has already been informed by the Territorial Council of Social Services and the System for Autonomy and Attention to Dependency and will be definitively approved by this same Council soon, after having obtained the first approval on Tuesday.