Canarias and Puntagorda sign agreement to manage the Child Bonus

The Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Puntagorda City Council have signed a cooperation agreement for the management of non-competitive grants aimed at promoting early schooling, the aid program known as the “Childcare Voucher” (Bono infantil). The agreement, signed in the Canary Islands on August 27, 2026, is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands no. 180, dated September 8, 2026, by means of the Resolution of the Technical General Secretariat of August 28, 2026 (official reference: resolution no. 3186, pages 34181-34198).

The agreement implements cooperation in the management and processing of aid directed toward municipal early childhood education schools and private centers authorized to teach the first cycle of Early Childhood Education in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The signing entity was proposed as a collaborating entity following the call issued by the Order of the Councilor of March 27, 2026, within the framework of the regulatory bases approved by Order no. 519, of July 22, 2024, amended by Order no. 1378, of November 19, 2025.

Signatories and affected center

The agreement is signed, on behalf of the Department, by the councilor Hipólito Alejandro Suárez Nuez, and for the municipality, by the mayor-president Vicente Rodríguez Lorenzo, empowered by the agreement of the Local Government Board of August 21, 2026. The publication resolution is signed, substituting the technical general secretary, by the head of the Legal Regime Service Daniel Matz Falero.

The center to which the agreement applies is the municipal early childhood education school:

• EEI Mercedes Sánchez Cabrera (code 38017494), with 25 authorized places.

Validity and obligations

The agreement enters into force on the day of its signing and has a duration of two years, extendable by mutual agreement, provided that the total duration—initial term plus extensions—cannot exceed six years, in accordance with Article 16 of the General Subsidies Law 38/2003, of November 17. Once published, it must be registered in the General Electronic Registry of Public Sector Agreements of the Canary Islands within fifteen business days.

The collaborating entity assumes, among others, the following functions:

• Receive and review applications submitted by families within five business days, requesting corrections when applicable.
• Process applications through the electronic office of the Government of the Canary Islands and certify the attendance of beneficiary students on a monthly basis.
• Deduct the granted amount from the invoices and refund fees paid prior to the granting resolution.
• Require a negative certificate from the Central Registry of Sexual Offenders for personnel carrying out activities at the center.

Financing and monitoring

The Department will transfer the “Child Voucher” funds in three successive installments: a first advance payment for the period from September to March, a second payment for April to June conditional upon the justification of the previous period, and a third subsequent payment. Payment will be made within twenty days from the act of granting or the declaration of justification. The collaborating entity will receive no financial compensation for its participation.

A Joint Monitoring Commission is created, composed of two representatives from the Department and two from the center, which will prepare an annual report and a final memorandum, and will resolve disputes by consensus. The agreement also includes Annex I on the entrustment of personal data processing, whereby the center acts as the data processor on behalf of the General Directorate of Center Administration, Schooling, and Complementary Services, with the obligation to delete the data upon completion of the assignment.

Impact for families

The publication of the agreement guarantees the continuity of the “Child Voucher” program in Puntagorda, allowing families in the municipality with children enrolled in the EEI Mercedes Sánchez Cabrera to access early schooling bonuses through a non-competitive concurrence procedure. The agreement reinforces the collaboration between the regional and local Administrations to ensure the processing, justification, and control of aid aimed at work-life balance and early childhood schooling on the island of La Palma.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 180, September 8, 2026, III. Other Resolutions, pp. 34181-34198 (official reference: resolution no. 3186).