This weekend the II National Exhibition of Large Families has been held in Madrid and in this context the regional government has announced a series of measures to help families of this type. Among them, an old claim (and political promise) of granting the consideration of a large family to single parents with two children in Madrid.
This type of families of a parent with only children has grown significantly in recent years, reaching nowadays about 10% of total households and 14.6% of total households with children. Despite this increase, it is a collective that is not considered sufficiently recognized and supported.
The national government has announced on several occasions the equalization of the single-parent family with two children to the large family, without becoming a reality, at least not completely. And it is that the autonomies have powers to apply this or other aid.
But in the Guide to social assistance and services for families 2015, edited by the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, does not include all single-parent families as numerous (yes those with one or two ascendants with three or more children, with two children and at least one with a disability or unable to work or father or mother with two children, when the other parent has died).
Recall that most Spanish autonomous communities have various complementary benefits for single parents, ranging from social emergency programs for the most economically disadvantaged families, to other grants and subsidies for one or more of its members (access to daycare centers ... ).
In the case of Madrid, the regional government follows a Family Support Strategy and here we would frame the new announcement of grants and benefits available for single parents with two children and that until now they were restricted, according to the head of the Ministry of Social and Family Policies.
Other measures are that those with three children will also have the status of a large family of special category when one of them has a disability or that children under 26 who belong to a large family will have a flat rate on the transport pass.
In addition, there is a significant increase in regional deductions in personal income tax for the birth, adoption and foster care of children, as well as new deductions for the educational expenses of school children.
At the moment, the "road map" is being outlined so that this new consideration of single parents with two children as numerous in Madrid will come true. Will we finally see it and will effective aid reach those who need it most or will it be a new disappointment for the demands of this group? Why are the measures to help families not implemented and not only announce them?
