This coming Monday, April 27, the platform of the “Nanny of the Neighbourhood” programme (ntantades.gov.gr) will open for the submission of applications, which at this stage is exclusively for the registration of curators, as the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Domna Michaelidou, announced today.
The Minister said that the official care network includes not only professionals, but also people from the close family environment, such as grandparents and students, offering a modern and organised framework of care for infants from 2 months to 2.5 years old. At the same time, he noted that each caregiver can care for up to three children, and parents are given the option to change caregivers if they wish.
Talking to ANT1 TV station today, Michailidou emphasised the strict safety criteria that govern the operation of the programme. As she explained, those interested are enrolled in the special register only if they have a clean criminal record and the necessary health certificates, while their inclusion requires a three-hour online training from the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family. At the same time, it is necessary to attend first aid courses from the ambulance service or the Hellenic Red Cross, so that childcare is provided in conditions of safety, responsibility and full protection.
The scheme provides an allowance of €500 per month to parents in full-time employment and €300 to parents in part-time employment or looking for work. For one child, the mother’s individual income can be up to 24,000 euros, for two children up to 27,000 euros, while no income criteria apply for families with more than three children. As the minister stressed, the criteria are flexible and are designed to ensure that the programme is targeted at as many families as possible who are in real need of support.
Finally, the minister made special reference to the possibility of pensioners participating as trustees, specifying that they can work in the programme without any reduction or withholding of their pension. In this way, as she pointed out, the experience, availability and contribution of people who can actively support the family are used in an institutional way.
