Families may get subsidies to pay for childcare. | Ultima Hora

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The Balearic Government wants to give aid to Municipalities and families as part of the Government's Conciliation Plan that's being preparing with Town Councils.

The President of the Government, Francina Armengol, held a meeting with Local Council Representatives, Palma City Council and the Federation of Local Entities of the Balearic Islands, or FELIB on Tuesday to table the proposal and said she would ask for input from the Government, but that a Government fund is also planned.

The meeting highlighted the need to establish a plan to help parents because schools won’t reopen until September.

The last month of the school year is the main problem because that’s when parents have to return to work and children can’t go back to school but they are not allowed to stay with grandparents who are in a risk group.

The meeting on Tuesday discussed giving aid to Councils so that they could hire more support staff to take care of the children and that family be given subsidies to help pay for the service. The initial idea is that children’s activities could take place in the common areas of Secondary Schools and Institutes but that classrooms would remain closed.

Outdoor Spaces

The Government has asked Councils to provide a list of facilities where the plan could be developed, such as football fields, multi-sport areas and open spaces that are preferably outdoors or ventilated.

City Councils are currently facing a serious legal problems when bidding for summer school contracts and time is running out.

Through the FELIB, they have asked for a Government Decree, to make it easier for Municipalities to give more flexibility to these contracts, according to Neus Serra, FELIB General Secretary.

Contract law

The declaration of the State of Emergency allows urgent purchases to be made, but it’s not clear whether contracts can be issued without complying with all the procedures set out in Public Procurement Legislation.

Governments, Councils and Town Councils are currently working on a document that they hope can be approved as soon as possible.

€700 million euros

One of the proposals that was tabled again at the meeting is that Municipalities be allowed to keep the 700 million euros they have saved, that the Government has not allowed them to spend.