Nurseries: A cry of anguish from thousands of parents

The request of thousands of parents for a free place in the school can be considered a cry in the desert. infant and nurseries, as in the Creative Employment Centres (CACs). While for the last school year, based on the first allocation, about 65,000 children were left out of the KDAPs, this year that number has soared to 70,000 children.

So it seems that the situation is getting worse. It is worth noting that after last year's callous admission by the Deputy Minister of Labour, Domnas Michaelides that there is no money to cover the valid applications for the KDAPs, with the consequence that 65,000 children were left out of the facilities, in order to avoid a general outcry against the government, the then leadership of the Ministry of Interior under Takis Theodorikako has requested, with a significant delay, an additional amount of EUR 10 million. But for this year, thousands of parents and workers in childcare facilities are facing the same agony, as especially for the KDCs it is estimated that about 70,000 children are left out of the facilities!

«Solve it now!», demands the Panhellenic Employees Association in KDCs stressing that «for the second consecutive year» both the beneficiary parents and employees of municipal KDCs experience an «unprecedented situation». Describing the paradox, the PASEKDAP points out: «Mothers of large families, single-parent mothers, families with two unemployed parents and really very low incomes and a very high rate, have been left out of the programme because ‘the budget for the action has been exhausted’. At the same time, mothers with much lower scores, even in the same region of residence, received vouchers with much lower scores because they were ‘lucky’ that their incomes were below the so-called poverty line.».

Therefore, PASEKDAP requests the relevant ministries to additional funding, as was the case last year, «so that mothers can register their children in all the available places of the municipal day care centers and the local government can continue the very important work of social policy without obstacles and unfair exclusions of mothers and children.».

The issue is also of great concern to the mayors, as they are faced with the protests of parents who were excluded, despite having valid applications for a voucher for the KDCs. On behalf of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, the chairman of the Social Policy Committee, Simos Danilides, called for emergency funding of €50 million to cover all valid applications for a free place not only for the KDCs, but also for the infant and children's nurseries. At the same time, he calls for an immediate redistribution of inactive vouchers, as in small municipalities with limited places they cannot be used and are being lost from the vacancies in municipal structures in larger municipalities.

At the same time, S. Daniilides reiterates the request for total revision of the system of distribution of vouchers nationwide while removing the 70% cap , which prohibits municipal daycare from filling 100% of seats through voucher funding. The issue was discussed at the recent meeting of the KEDE, with the CEO of the Hellenic Society for Local Development and Local Government - the body that implements the specific program «Reconciliation of Family and Professional Life» - Spyros Spyrou accepting in principle that there must be a comprehensive solution, but, as he said, «it is not of the present ...