The expansion of the daycare network in Matosinhos involves the construction of three new facilities, the expansion of five existing ones, and the refurbishment of two others. The direct municipal investment amounts to approximately 2.2 million euros, supplemented by the provision of municipal infrastructure and land, and funding from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
The new daycares to be built are Creche MAIS in São Mamede de Infesta; the new Santa Casa da Misericórdia daycare in Matosinhos; and Creche Recarei in Leça do Balio. Existing daycares to be expanded include Sol Poente and Mosaico in Leça da Palmeira; Creche AMAS in São Mamede de Infesta; Creche ASDG in Guifões; and Creche Paraíso in Matosinhos. Refurbishment will cover Creche São Tiago in Custóias and Creche Santa Cecília in Matosinhos.
According to Carlos Mouta, vice-president of the Matosinhos Municipal Council and head of the Social Action department, the expansion was based on a mapping and characterization study of the daycare offerings in the municipality. "This study allowed us to accurately understand the current supply and installed capacity based on real-world data, ensuring that investments effectively meet identified needs," he explained.
Following this expansion phase, the Council will focus on reorganizing the network, with no further construction or expansion planned. The next step aims to develop projects to facilitate the transition of children aged three and above to the public preschool education system. "By ensuring provision from the age of three, we can free up capacity in daycares to serve more families with younger children, without needing new construction or expansions," added Carlos Mouta.
This municipal strategy seeks to strengthen the coordination between daycare and preschool education, optimizing the use of existing capacity and ensuring a continuous response to families' needs.
