The Spanish government announced on Tuesday a substantial allocation of nearly €200 million to be distributed among the autonomous communities. These funds will finance programs aimed at protecting families and combating child poverty.
Spain has the highest child poverty rate within the European Union, at 27.4%. In 2021, the country made a record investment to tackle this issue. The funding is managed by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda, which has confirmed its commitment to increasing this budget in the coming years.
Focus on basic services
A significant portion of the budget, over €108 million, will be directed towards developing basic municipal services. This includes home care, alternative housing, and projects for social prevention and integration. These measures are essential to support vulnerable families and prevent social exclusion.
Family protection and child poverty
Another part of the funding, €65 million, is earmarked for protecting families and combating child poverty. This program specifically targets families with children living in severe material poverty and those at risk of social exclusion. The government will use these funds to co-finance projects focused on food provision, leisure and cultural activities, and balancing work and family life during school holidays.
Strengthening protection against violence
A sum of €25 million is reserved for strengthening primary care teams responsible for the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents against violence. This program supports projects aimed at preventing and early detection of potential risks of violence against children. This effort aligns with the organic law for the protection of children and adolescents against violence, approved in 2021. The distribution of funds will be based on criteria such as population, land area, and the AROPE index, which measures the risk of poverty or social exclusion. This year, with the budget extension, the territorial distribution will be the same as in 2023.
Addressing historical underfunding
Minister Pablo Bustinduy emphasised that the budget increase aims to correct the historical underfunding of the social services system. Significant cuts over the past decade have exacerbated this situation. The minister called on all autonomous governments and political parties to collaborate on a national strategy to ensure adequate funding and prevent future cuts. Bustinduy also stressed the importance of continued investment by autonomous governments in social services. He urged a collective effort to achieve broad consensus and protect the resources for these critical services.
With this substantial investment, the Spanish government takes a significant step towards improving social protection and combating child poverty, paving the way for future improvements in the financing of social services.