The Municipality of Valongo will extend until December 31, 2026 the financial support to the "Escola do Xisto – O Nosso Mundo" project, with an investment exceeding 113 thousand euros. The decision was approved at a Municipal Council meeting and allows the continuation of activities providing social, educational, occupational, socio-professional and leisure time services to minors and adults with disabilities and/or incapacity.
The mayor of Valongo, Paulo Esteves Ferreira, stated that this proposal involves a major financial effort by the Municipality, considering it unfair that there are no responses from the central State for this situation. The mayor warned that the lack of clarification from the Government has already taken too long and that there are no similar services in the Municipality for minors with disabilities and/or incapacity.
The extension follows an initial decision in April that approved full financing of the project for a period of four months. In August, the District Director of Social Security in Porto, Fernando Paulo, visited the Escola do Xisto and met the multidisciplinary team of 15 professionals responsible for the facility, reiterating that funding options and alternatives have been studied.
Valongo has been waiting for several months for a response from the Government and Social Security regarding the future of the Escola do Xisto. The Municipality reaffirms its commitment to the continuity of these essential inclusion services, ensuring that the transition between funding models does not compromise the work developed with participants and their families.
