Vitória Turns to Technology and Puts 71% of Children Aged Three and Younger in Day-Care Centers

05/22/2018 - 11h41

With a population of 363,000, Vitória, the capital of Espírito Santo, has managed to put 71% of children aged three and younger in day-care centers: the highest enrollment rate for this particular educational stage among Brazilian state capitals.

In 2016, the national average was 27%, according to a survey conducted by the TC-Educa system - which is a part of the Association of Members of the Brazilian Court of Accounts and the Rui Barbosa Institute.

The system oversees the goals set out in the National Education Plan, which intends on putting 50% of children aged three and younger in child-care centers by 2024. The survey revealed that the only capitals to have already achieved this benchmark are Vitória, São Paulo and Florianópolis.

	Foto: Gabriel Lordello/Folhapress
	Day-care center in Vitória

One of the tools that Vitória resorted to was technology. Up until 2013, all enrollments had to take place at the actual day-care centers and lotteries were conducted in order to fill out the available vacancies - a system that is not fool proof and that is still used in other municipalities.

Nowadays, however, the city uses a centralized registration system that parents can use to sign up their kids and check their registration status - thus bringing transparency to the process. Criteria such as residential district, special needs and number of siblings enrolled in the unit in question are all taken into consideration.

The registration system also helped the city improve planning for the construction of new day-care centers. Areas with a higher demand for day-care centers are prioritized which helps curb the influence that city councilmen could exert to build centers in their own neighborhoods instead.

Experts have also highlighted the continuity of education policies that the city has adopted over the years. Several administrations participated in the expropriation process required to build new day-care units.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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