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At the beginning of this school year, almost 800 children were on the waiting lists to enter one of the six municipal nurseries
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The City Council is also planning the construction of two new nurseries, one in Collblanc-la Torrassa and another in Sant Josep
More of 500 children were on the waiting lists to enter one of the municipal nurseries of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelonès) in June 2022. At the beginning of this school year, in September, the figure was close to 800 infants (798).
By age range, the greatest increase in demand has occurred in the 2 to 3 year age group, a phenomenon that the L’Hospitalet City Council attributes to a “pull effect” caused by the new free course as a result of the subsidy, in charge of the Generalitat, of the third of 1,600 euros for each place that until now the families paid for.
The Councilor for Education and fifth deputy mayor of the L’Hospitalet City Council, david quirosexplains that for blame this growing demandthe consistory has decided to bet on the municipalization of five day care centers in the citya measure that this newspaper already advanced in September that the consistory was studying.
Specifically, the hospital government has decided to integrate the nurseries into the municipal network booty -in the Center neighbourhood-, the Scrawl -in Sant Josep-, the Estel Blau -in Bellvitge-, the Nova Fortuny and the wow wow -these last two located in Collblanc-la Torrassa-. All of them are private schools whose management falls to cooperatives and non-profit entities and which are installed in municipal facilities.
Although the procedure for municipalization is still in the phase of preparing the economic study and the tender is expected to go out at some point in the first quarter of 2023, the Councilor for Education explains that the idea “is to be able to start the next academic year (2023-2024)” with these centers already integrated into the local network, although it recognizes that the process can be extended to the middle of the course.
380 new municipal parking spaces
The Barcelona Provincial Council pointed out a couple of weeks ago that, after the free I-2, there has been a demand increase of 20% that it has not been possible to assume because there are not enough places. Not only in L’Hospitalet, since it is a situation that is repeated throughout the territory.
In addition, from the Provincial Council they also denounced that the real price per child in a municipal nursery, with the increase in the price of supplies, amounts to between 7,500 and 8,000 euroswell above the 5,800 calculated by the Department of Education and on the basis of which the gratuity of the Infant 2 level was raised.
However, from the L’Hospitalet City Council they explain that, with the municipalization of these five nurseries the city will be able to add 380 places and reach almost 1,200. Currently, L’Hospitalet has six municipal nurseries and three from the Generalitat.
“There will be demand and it will increase due to the free I-2. Families are also betting on municipal projects and facilities and we have to look to cover this need& rdquor ;, defends Quirós, who adds that “Public squares are always necessary”.
Longest waiting list in northern neighborhoods
According to data from the City Council, among the six municipal nurseries -all of them with full registrations-, the one with a longest waiting list in September it is Park Houselocated in Collblanc-la Torrassawith a waiting list of 196 children.
The one at Casa del Parc is followed, with 158 children on list, the nursery House of the Flowerswhich is also located in the northern part of the city -one of the most densely populated areas of Europe-, in this case, in the neighborhood of The Plans; and the one of the House of the Treesalso with 158 children waiting, in the neighborhood of Santa Eulalia.
Related news
In addition to the municipalization of the five nurseries, as reported by ‘El País’, from The City Council also plans to build two new nurseries, one of them located precisely in Collblanc-la Torrassa and another in Sant Josep. In this way, L’Hospitalet would reach 13 municipal nurseriesin addition to the three of the Generalitat.
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