Viterbo – Many parents are asking for a meeting with the mayor Frontini to ask the administration to take a step back from a choice which, a year later, would have only produced yet another failure
by Daniele Camilli
Viterbo – “The suppression of agreements with nursery schools has led to a harmful situation for families, structures and workers”. Parents revolt against the suppression of agreements with nursery schools. Agreements replaced by the municipality of Viterbo with contributions given directly to families. A choice, that of the administration of the mayor Chiara Frontini and specifically of the councilor for social policies Patrizia Notaristefano, which after a year would have produced only yet another failure. To the point that over 97% of families who send their children to nursery schools would like a return to the agreements.
These days, in various kindergartens in the capital, many parents are signing a letter to send to the mayor Frontini asking to listen “the requests of the families who have been affected by the innovations introduced in the field of nursery school”. And to underline that the elimination of the agreements “did not take into account the economic sustainability of both the families, who found themselves having to advance the amounts due, and the accommodation facilities which, in order to offer an adequate nursery service, must pass on the families that you would like to help, the structural costs of the service (premises, utilities, qualified personnel, etc.)”.
Viterbo – The councilor for social policies Patrizia Notaristefano
“On behalf of all the families – thus begins the parents’ letter addressed to Frontini – we kindly ask you to give us an audience so that we can be given the opportunity to present to you the requests of the families who have been affected by the innovations introduced by your administration regarding asylum nursery and family support last year. A measure which, we remind you, provided for the provision of contributions directly to families for attendance at nursery school for the 2023/2024 educational year and the abolition of agreements and contributions directly to nursery facilities”.
“This mechanism – continues the letter signed by the parents – although created with the intention of wanting to help the families’ economy, did not take the slightest into account the economic sustainability of both the families, who found themselves having to advance the amounts due, and the structures accommodation which, in order to offer an adequate nursery service, must pass on the structural costs of the service (premises, utilities, qualified personnel, etc.) to the families you would like to help.
The agreement with the structures not only provided the possibility of better responding to the families’ demand but also for the municipality to access the regional contributions allocated for the elective years 21-24 and confirmed again for the years 24-26 (cf. Regional service program early childhood education, pursuant to art. 49 of Regional Law no. 7/2020, 2024-2026). The failure to activate the agreements by the municipality of Viterbo, in fact, not only does not align with what is promoted by the Dgr n. 285/2022 which programmed 1,443,044.01 euros for a greater diffusion of the integrated system but also led to the municipality renouncing the contribution that the Lazio region paid to the municipal coffers precisely for the maintenance of the agreements, an amount that the next January 2025 will cease to reach its administration”.
A nursery
“Taking into account – continues the parents’ letter – that in particular, law 24 December 2012, n. 228 (Provisions regarding the simplification and rationalization of the regulatory system), article 1, paragraph 2, letter d), establishes that municipalities are required to ‘foster the diffusion of early childhood services’. Taking into account that the law of 10 December 2018, n. 132 (Provisions regarding the protection of the rights of minors and adoptions), article 1, paragraph 2, letter d), establishes that the State and local authorities ‘support families with young children, also through the promotion and support of early childhood services. Taking into account that the number of places that the affiliated structures – currently in great difficulty after the cancellation of the agreement – were able to guarantee was greater than that of private structures alone (see List of accredited educational services for children) and better responded to the demand of the families of Viterbo. Taking into account that last June 22nd, councilor Notaristefano declared that ‘the measure adopted by the administration on nursery schools aims to help families, supporting them in paying their children’s fees.
This measure, in addition to encouraging an increase in the number of children who will be able to access the nursery service, aims to adequately support families who in this historical moment find themselves facing ever-increasing expenses, and guarantee a free choice of nursery.
Taking into account that the families of the former affiliated structures were subjected to a satisfaction questionnaire on the methods of accessing the economic benefits (in agreement or through payment to the families) and that of the total questionnaires, 97.18% expressed themselves in favor of a return to conventions. We hereby ask, on behalf of all the families we represent, a meeting so that our voice today can personally follow up on what emerged from the surveys mentioned above and therefore show and explain the reasons why the families to whom your measure was revolt found themselves in exactly the opposite situation to that desired by your administration. A harmful situation which today also involves the structures and their workers.”
Viterbo – Mayor Chiara Frontini
“Dear mayor – concludes the parents’ letter to Frontini – if, as we imagine, you care about the fate of the families and workers-educators of Viterbo, and if, as Notaristefano declared, the measure was aimed at helping families, following what we are telling you by communicating, he will agree with us on the need to give us a hearing to give us the opportunity to explain de visu, with accounts in hand, the direction in which we will be pursuing the path of renouncing the agreements and to evaluate together which measure is most appropriate to take for the next school year apparently far away but in fact just around the corner”.
Daniele Camilli
June 10, 2024
