On Friday, May 10, the first Municipal Child Care and Development Center (CECUDI) was officially opened in the canton of Buenos Aires, in the province of Puntarenas.
The Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion and Executive President of IMAS, Juan Luis Bermúdez, visited the center this afternoon in the company of the Mayor of Buenos Aires, José Rojas; the Executive Director of the Technical Secretariat of the Child Care Network and the Regional Head of IMAS.
The new CECUDI with the capacity to attend 52 children receives, initially, 17 minors from 0 to 6 years old. All of them, subsidized by the IMAS through a monthly social investment of ¢ 2,227,000.
With this benefit called Child Care and Development, the IMAS seeks to support parents, or responsible persons, covering the care of children during the first and second childhood, while they study or work.
The majority of beneficiary families are led by women in poverty, who attend secondary education and university studies, are trained or work, so this support becomes vital to continue with their life projects.
“The opening of this first municipal care center is a great step in our struggle to provide better and greater opportunities, especially for female heads of household to join the labor market.” In the Framework of the Dialogue Table established this Friday for the Government of the Republic this work commits us even more with this canton and with the women, we are going to promote and support projects that allow them better their lives and that of their families “, assured the Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion and President IMAS Executive, Juan Luis Bermúdez.
This CECUDI represented an investment in infrastructure and equipment of ¢ 167,452,473 from the resources of FODESAF, assigned by Law No. 9220 of the Child Care Network. And it was built on a plot of 3,640 meters from the Municipality of Buenos Aires.
As confirmed by the Executive Director of the Technical Secretariat of the Yariela Quirós Child Care Network, there are also 17 Community Homes, a private center and six CEN-CINAI in Buenos Aires. “With this center opened today, there are already 25 care alternatives in this canton, which serve 391 children guaranteeing their care and integral development,” she said.