The Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão received, yesterday afternoon, for the tenth consecutive year, the flag of 'Municipality + Familiarly Responsible 2022', in a ceremony that took place in the auditorium of the Foundation for Studies and Training in Local Authorities (FEFAL), in Coimbra. The City Council was represented by the Councillor for the Family, Sofia Fernandes, in a session in which a diploma was also awarded to formalise Famalicão's membership of the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities.
"This is further unequivocal proof that Famalicão is, without a doubt, the Place of the Family," said the Mayor, Mário Passos, adding that this is "the recognition of the value and success of municipal policies to support family households in Famalicão".
As for belonging to the European Network of Family-Friendly Municipalities, the mayor stresses that this cooperation with municipalities from other corners of Europe "allows us to obtain other realities, other data, and other experiences, which enable us to be a territory increasingly attentive and effective in public intervention". "We are demanding, we want to learn from the best and also to show the best that is done in Famalicão", said the mayor.
The Councillor for Family Affairs also did not hide her enormous satisfaction for Famalicão receiving these distinctions. "Inside and outside the city centre, our municipality is known as a family-friendly municipality, which makes us very proud and encourages us to continue to work on behalf of the citizens of Famalicão, implementing better and better public policies", said Sofia Fernandes.
It should be noted that the distinction of 'Local Authority + Familiarly Responsible" by the Observatory of the Familiarly Responsible Municipalities, an initiative of the Portuguese Association of Large Families, in partnership with the Social Security Institute. Besides Famalicão, 94 other Portuguese municipalities were also distinguished with the flag.
It should be remembered that the City Council has planned, for this year, a package of more than 16 million euros, which includes social cohesion measures that meet the needs of needy families in the municipality. The reduction of the Municipal Property Tax (IMI) rate, the payment of federation subscriptions and respective insurance for young athletes of the municipality, as well as the existence of a fourth tier of municipal social support in education, are some examples of support policies adopted by the municipality.