Ribera del Fresno approves the 500 euro baby-check per birth

The City Council of Ribera del Fresno (Badajoz) has finalized the regulatory bases for granting aid to promote birth rates, which include a baby-check of 500.00 euros for each birth or adoption of children under 3 years of age. The initial plenary agreement, adopted on July 9, 2026, became automatically firm as no claims were filed during the public exhibition period, and its full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz number 171, dated September 7, 2026, via Announcement 3521/2026.

The measure is framed within the family protection outlined in Article 39.1 of the Spanish Constitution and is supported by Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of the Local Regime, Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004 (Local Treasuries), and Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies. The council justifies the initiative based on the population decline the municipality has suffered in recent years and the desire to stimulate consumption in local businesses, which generate employment and wealth.

Requirements to access the aid

The subsidy is recognized for each birth or adoption of children up to three years old, provided that the conditions set in the bases are met:

• At least one of the parents or adopters must have been continuously registered (empadronado) in Ribera del Fresno during the three years prior to the birth or adoption.
• The minor must be registered at the applicant’s address at the time of the application.
• In the case of adoption, the adoptee must be under 3 years of age.
• The applicant must be up to date with payments to the Treasury, Social Security, and the City Council.
• A commitment to permanence is required: the beneficiary and the minor must remain registered for at least one year following the granting resolution.

In cases of annulment, separation, or divorce, the beneficiary will be the person who holds custody of the minor, according to the regulatory agreement or judicial sentence.

How to apply and justify

Applications shall be submitted to the general registry of the City Council, at Plaza de España number 1, or through the means provided for in Article 16.4 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure. DNI or equivalent documentation, the Family Book (Libro de Familia), the judicial resolution in case of adoption, and certificates of being up to date with the Treasury and Social Security must be provided.

The resolution must be issued within a maximum period of three months from the submission of the complete documentation. Payment is made against invoices from affiliated local commercial establishments, and the beneficiary has a maximum period of 6 months from the notification to justify the aid, with payment being made within a maximum of 30 days from the submission of the justification account.

Eligible expenses and managing body

The amount may be used for the acquisition of goods and services related to the minor’s needs regarding food, clothing and footwear, pharmacy and healthcare, hygiene, furniture, toys, household utensils and linens, provided they are purchased at establishments participating in the call.

Management is the responsibility of a collegiate body chaired by the councilor for the social services area, with the Corporation’s auditor as secretary and three public employees as members. The grants are compatible with other public or private subsidies, except when they overlap within the same category of expenditure.

The announcement, signed by the mayor, Miguel Ángel Araya Salguero, sets a period of two months to file a contentious-administrative appeal before the High Court of Justice of Extremadura. With this initiative, the Extremaduran municipality joins local policies to support birth rates, with the dual purpose of retaining population and boosting its commercial fabric.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz, no. 171, September 7, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: Announcement 3521/2026).