CAIF Plan will incorporate 17,000 children in the five-year period
The president of the Institute for Children and Adolescents of Uruguay (INAU), Pablo Abdala, reported that 44 new centers are being built —which will be added to the 470 throughout the country— and 80 mobile rooms will be added to expand the capacity of the plan . This year it is projected to open 6,000 places and extend the number of days of attention to children under one year of age. “There is a State policy here,” he pointed out.
This Tuesday the 20th, at the Legislative Palace, a commemorative stamp was presented for the 35th anniversary of the creation of the Child and Family Care Centers Plan (CAIF). The Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado; the Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón, and the head of the National Post Office, Rafael Navarrine.
Abdala pointed out that the CAIFs are not only spaces for care, but that they develop a comprehensive care proposal and provide a social and educational response to children under three years of age and their families. Currently, some 470 operate throughout the country, she reported.
The hierarch indicated that this administration is working to strengthen them. In this five-year period, 44 new ones and more than 80 mobile rooms will be opened. The goal is to increase outreach and enroll some 17,000 children, he explained.
In 2022, 3,500 seats were added, this year it is projected to add another 6,000 and, in 2024, around 8,000, he said.
The expansion of the plan’s capacity will also be done by increasing the hours and days of care for children under one year of age, Abdala assured. Many attend only once a week, through the Opportunity Experience program, he expressed, adding: “We are in the process of transitioning to daily care.”
The CAIF Plan was created in 1988, 35 years ago.
In this regard, Argimón highlighted that, in its beginnings, it was implemented to respond to the increasing entry of women into the labor market. Over time, it evolved and incorporated new elements. Today, it is a State policy and a central component of actions for early childhood, she considered.
Likewise, he highlighted the participation of departmental governments and social organizations. “This is the clearest example of successful inter-institutional work towards early childhood in the country”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Navarrine valued the plan that led the Uruguayan Post Office to present a commemorative stamp for its 35th anniversary. The hierarch pointed out that, through postage stamps, the institution recognizes important events in the country’s history.
