Government inaugurates daycare in Marajó and ensures better quality in early childhood education in the region
The new unit will contribute to the income generation of families by providing support, safety, and quality education for children, facilitating the reconciliation between work and family life
Early childhood education is one of the main priorities of the State Government, and for this reason, it has been receiving many investments to ensure the complete development of children. To reinforce this commitment, Governor Helder Barbalho, through the State Department of Education (Seduc), delivered on the morning of this Thursday, the 10th, in the municipality of Melgaço, another unit of the "Daycares Throughout Pará" program: the Municipal School of Early Childhood Education Professor Raimunda Wilma Corrêa Vilar.
The new unit, which can serve approximately 200 children aged 0 to 5 years, will further strengthen the offer of quality education for children in the Marajó region. Governor Helder Barbalho highlighted the partnership between the state and municipality in carrying out the work.
“It is a joy to be again in Melgaço and to share this moment when we deliver important benefits to the municipality. I reaffirm that you can count on us in this journey; we continue to work more and more for Melgaço. I thank the partnership with the City Hall, which donated the land. The State Government built, furnished, and now we deliver the key to the daycare fully ready, so that the municipality can start the enrollments and immediately receive the children in an adequate and quality space,” emphasized the governor.
During the delivery, the governor also emphasized the importance of the daycare's role in the lives of families, both in promoting education and in protecting children.
“The daycare fulfills several essential functions. First, because a child's place is in school, and even the very young, from 0 to 5 years old, can and should be in a learning environment. But besides education, the daycare offers safety and peace of mind for parents. When a father or mother needs to go out to work and earn income, they cannot leave their child alone at home. The daycare ensures that this child is in a safe environment, under the care of qualified teachers and professionals. Therefore, it represents not only access to education but also protection and care,” he concluded.
Also present at the daycare delivery ceremony, the Lieutenant Governor Hana Ghassan spoke about the impact of the work on mothers who need to work.
"I thank God for this moment when we are delivering a transformative instrument that is this daycare; the much-awaited daycare in Melgaço is now a reality. I am very happy to be participating in this moment. It is a daycare that takes care of children and also takes care of families because I was able to talk to many mothers and heard their testimonies saying that now they can leave their child in a safe place, starting an education process, and can focus on increasing the family's income, having a place to leave their child," said Hana Ghassan.
The State Secretary of Education, Ricardo Sefer, reaffirmed the commitment to expanding the network of early childhood education in the Marajó archipelago, highlighting the delivery of the first daycare in the region, in the municipality of Melgaço.
“For us at the Department of Education, it is a great honor to deliver the first daycare in Marajó, and precisely in Melgaço. This is the first of many that will come to Marajó and to the entire State of Pará. We know the difficulties of bringing public services to this region, so this achievement is especially gratifying for our entire team. We have fulfilled our challenge: to deliver a work worthy of what Marajó and Melgaço deserve,” stated the secretary.
The secretary also emphasized the importance of the new phase of daycare management, which will now be the responsibility of the municipality. "From now on, the management is in the hands of the City Hall, and our goal is to ensure the best possible service, maintaining the quality of infrastructure and care for our children. I greatly appreciate the support of the local community and the backing of the actions of the State Government. Always count on the State Department of Education and the Government of Pará," he affirmed.
Structure - The building has 10 classrooms, a multipurpose room, a lactation room, a breastfeeding room, two diaper changing rooms, a covered patio, a playground, a nap area, a garden, and a vegetable garden. The infrastructure also includes four children's bathrooms, two bathrooms for teachers, three general-use bathrooms, as well as a kitchen, cafeteria, pantry, changing rooms, and other support areas.
Mrs. Aracie Ferreira, mother of Benjamim, who is one year and two months old, feels very happy to have a daycare that offers comfort and quality education for her child.
"The daycare will be very important in my life and in my son's life as well. Since I work, I spend the whole day working and only go home during the same break. So, for his age, this will help me a lot, really a lot. For me, as a mother, it is a privilege, not only for me but for the other mothers as well, and it will certainly contribute and help a lot in the education of our children and in their daily learning. I see that the education that the State offers is of quality, responsibility, and commitment. It is excellent," she reported.
In addition to strengthening support for families, the daycares follow the standards established by the State Government and play a fundamental role in the integral development of children. In Melgaço, the new educational unit received an investment of R$ 6,765,870, offering a modern and complete structure for early childhood care.
"The feeling is one of gratitude. We are receiving an instrument that will serve, that will be very useful for the municipality, both from an educational and social perspective. Today we have a significant social vulnerability in the municipality, and our mothers will be able to work more peacefully because they will leave these children in a quality educational instrument, well-structured, with qualified teachers and a solid structure," emphasized Flávio Viegas, municipal secretary of Education.
The little Henrique Gabriel, only 1 year and 9 months old, is going to daycare for the first time. The news represents a relief for his mother, Maria José Gonçalves, who works as an attendant and can now work more calmly, knowing that her son is in a safe, welcoming environment prepared for his development.
"It is very important to be able to count on a safe environment. Just like for the other mothers, who work outside and need a suitable daycare like this one, so we can work without worries, knowing that he will be well taken care of, that there are excellent professionals who will be educating him. And today, my heart is completely happy to leave my son in a daycare that is all good, it is wonderful," she declared.
Advances in the Marajó Archipelago - The State Government inaugurates the first daycare in the region, which is preparing to receive other units, one in each municipality of the archipelago. In total, more than 2,000 families will benefit.
The initiative represents an important advance for education in Marajó, promoting more inclusion, development, and citizenship from the earliest years of life.
In addition to the daycare, the State Government has already delivered, since 2019, eleven fully renovated and constructed schools for the school community of Marajó, as part of investments in improving education in the archipelago.
"Daycares Throughout Pará" - It is an unprecedented educational program in the State, aimed at serving around 30,000 families, especially mothers in situations of social vulnerability who need to return to the job market. The initiative seeks to facilitate the reconciliation between professional life and caring for children.
With an investment of over R$ 400 million, the program plans to build 150 daycares throughout Pará, aimed at children aged 0 to 5 years. In municipalities with higher population density, two units will be built.
The State Government has already delivered daycares in the municipalities of Belém, Ananindeua, Benevides, Oriximiná, Redenção, Cumaru do Norte, Almeirim, Bannach, and now in Melgaço, benefiting around two thousand families.
