A scandal has erupted in the Spanish capital over a support program for families with young children. The city’s plan to provide subsidies for attending private nurseries—presented as a key measure to solve the shortage of places in municipal kindergartens—has failed to meet the expectations of thousands of parents.
Most families left without support
This year, over 13,000 families with an annual per capita income below €30,000 applied for the so-called ‘children’s grant plus’ (beca infantil plus). However, only 1,214 families were approved for payment. The remaining 11,738 families—despite fully meeting the criteria—had to be placed on the waiting list. This means that 90% of applicants have received no financial support.
Authorities explain the situation by saying priority was given to the most vulnerable families. As a result, even those with incomes below €10,420 per person were not always able to secure assistance. For many parents, this came as a real blow, since the cost of private nurseries in Madrid reaches €400–500 per month.
True Stories: Hopes and Disappointments
Sara Martínez, an actress who recently turned 40, shares that her family was denied a subsidy even though their income is well below the established threshold. Her ten-month-old daughter was admitted to the Fúcar municipal nursery back in April, but the facility has yet to open due to ongoing construction. It is now expected to welcome children only in January, unless further delays occur.
While the municipal nursery remains unavailable, the Martínez family has to pay for a private daycare, where they are charged €460 a month for four hours a day without meals. For many parents, these expenses are unaffordable, especially when there is no guarantee of securing a place in a public facility in the future.
Criticism of the policy and calls for change
A debate has erupted in the city council over the merits of the chosen strategy. Opposition representatives argue that the current support system in fact promotes the growth of the private sector instead of addressing the shortage of places in municipal nurseries. In their view, allocating funds for subsidies to private daycare centers primarily benefits the companies running them, rather than families.
Opposition lawmakers insist on the need to implement a long-term plan for building and expanding the municipal preschool network. They believe that only this approach can make early childhood education accessible to all families, not just a select few.
Parents’ response and next steps
Many parents facing difficulties are not giving up. Sara Martinez is already preparing a formal complaint about being denied the subsidy, and she plans to request a payment plan at the private nursery. She emphasizes that efforts to boost the birth rate must be matched by real support for families, not just token measures.
For now, thousands of families are forced to find their own solutions, paying for private services or waiting for new municipal facilities to open. The question of how effective the current aid distribution system is remains unsettled and continues to spark debate among Madrid residents.
