Benidorm increases grants by 15% to schoolchildren with learning difficulties

Benidorm City Council has increased by about 15% the aid granted to families in the city to cover partially the cost of private psycho-pedagogical treatments received by school children who have difficulties and / or learning or adaptation disorders and who study in different schools and high schools of the city.

The mayor, Toni Pérez, who also serves the area of ​​Education, has reported that "a total of 93 grants have been given for an average amount of 1,049.13 euros per family, an average amount higher than last year." Pérez has indicated that since 2016 "have not stopped growing the requests and the amount allocated to this line of aid, which confirms the success of the same and also the commitment of the Department to serve the largest possible number of families and schoolchildren" . In fact, it has gone from the 22 grants attended in 2016 to the current 93.

In total, 116 applications have been received. Of these, 80.2% have been attended, since the remaining percentage -which translates into 22 requests- did not meet the conditions established in the call.

The total amount of this grant amounts to 97,569.40 euros, so "we have increased the amount of the previous year by more than 10,000 euros". "In addition, it should be remembered that in 2018 the initial funding for this grant program was increased by 30,000 euros, so the amount allocated to cover part of the psycho-pedagogical treatments received by these students has increased significantly in two years", the mayor added.

The treatments that can be financed with these grants are those aimed at overcoming literacy and / or learning difficulties, improving oral language, treating maladjustment and behavioral disorders; as well as early stimulation in cases external to the Association's Early Care service. Sometimes these private treatments are needed either because the minors cannot receive them in the school itself, or because they need to be reinforced.

The first phase of these grants, which goes from January and June, will be paid in the coming days to the beneficiaries. The payment of the second one, corresponding to the period from August to December, will be made in the second semester of the year, once the families justify the treatment received by the students in the first half of 2019.