Estepona tenders new Plan Corresponsables for free after-school care

The Ayuntamiento de Estepona (town hall) has put out to tender the service to run a new edition of the Plan Corresponsables, a programme meant to help families balance work and home life and share caring responsibilities more equally. The council announced the tender on its own website.

Funding and timeline

According to the town hall, the programme is funded by a €112,213 grant from the Junta de Andalucía's Consejería de Inclusión Social, Juventud, Familias e Igualdad, the regional department responsible for families and equality. The project can run until September 2027 and will continue a free service for families in the municipality who have children under 16.

What is on offer

The plan includes a childcare service ("guarda y custodia") for children aged 6 to 16, with or without functional diversity (disabilities). It comes with a programme of social, educational, sporting, leisure and training activities adapted to their needs and interests.

The council lists school support, healthy leisure and personal development activities, sports, workshops and outings to places of interest in the town and surrounding area. The programme also includes awareness-raising and education in equality, aimed at encouraging respect, coexistence and shared responsibility from an early age. It says activities will promote equal opportunities for girls and boys, including teamwork, cooperation and visibility for female role models.

Who gets priority

The town hall says the plan is aimed in particular at families in which parents work and struggle to combine job and family duties, offering children a safe, educational and inclusive setting outside school hours.

Priority criteria will help families with the greatest need for care and work-life balance. These include single-parent and large families, victims of gender-based violence, women who have been long-term unemployed, women over 45, people with disabilities and households with other caring responsibilities. Income level and family responsibilities will also be taken into account.

The source does not say when the tender closes, which company might win it, or when registration for families will open. Residents who want details should check with the Ayuntamiento de Estepona.