The Catalan Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Families is allocating over €2.6 million for children and young people from vulnerable families to participate in summer activities and 9,500 children and youths can benefit from various other leisure activities. Aside from the 96 care centres made available to the public, the Catalan Government has also put forward various measures to reduce the risk of child, youth and family vulnerability, including the “Play and Read” programme,  the “The Summer is Yours!” programme as well as other grants for Catalan educational and leisure institutions to carry further activities.

 

This year, 2,607 places are available in 96 open centres for child and adolescent care who may be at risk of vulnerability during the summer holidays. In this regard, the centres of institutions and city councils will carry out the activities and promote actions to guarantee basic needs of these social groups.

 

The care centres will host daily activities from Monday to Friday and will be open for a minimum of six hours per day. They will include two to three meals per day ensuring a healthy and balanced diet.

 

Minister Dolors Bassa highlighted the €1,417,763 investment for 2016, €400,000 more than the previous year. The increase has allowed for the opening of 26 additional centres and 600 places available.

 

One of the objectives of this Play and Read programme, which will take place in 29 community centres around Catalonia, is to encourage a healthy diet. In this regard, the workshop “Eating healthy, you’ll never go back” will be working over the summer on hygiene and eating habits while providing the children with breakfast or an afternoon snack.

 

The Minister explained that 2,000 children would be participating in the workshop and would involve an investment of €54,460.

 

In collaboration with leisure education institutions and local agencies, the Ministry is allocating €600,000 for 2016 to provide 3,500 places in leisure workshops and summer camps.

 

Furthermore, the Directorate-General for Youth also proposed an increase on the number of organisations participating in this grant programme in order to achieve greater territorial coverage and balance. As such, the number of federations and associations that could benefit would increase from 5 to 13 (Acció Escolta, Ass Mirall, Escoltes Catalans, Esplais Catalans, Federació Don Bosco, Fundació Catalana de l’Esplai, Fundació Pere Tarrés, MIJAC, Minyons escoltes i guies, Moviment d’Esplai del Vallès, Scouts Wiffis, XEASC and CRUC).

 

 

 

“The Summer is Yours!” programme provides grants to cover between 65% and 100% of the lodging costs at the National Network of Social Hostels of Catalonia (XANASCAT) to boys and girls aged 5 to 16 who are in vulnerable situations. Each case is evaluated by the Basic Social Outreach Teams (EBAS) of the various municipalities and provincial councils.

 

With a budget of €550,000, nearly 1,500 available places are planned for the duration of the programme.