Bensafrim Parish Assembly
17 July of 2026
POINT 3 – Draft Regulation for Attribution of “Baby Hamper”
The Movement Lakes with Future recognizes the importance of creating measures to encourage birth rates and support young families, considering that combating demographic aging and population loss must be a priority for local public policies.
We welcome, that's why, the intention of the Parish Council to create support for newborns residing in the parish. However, We understand that the regulation presented today falls far short of the ambition that the document itself sets out and the real needs of families.
Right away, we consider that the value attributed, fixed to just 250 euros, is clearly insufficient to represent a real incentive to births or significant support for the expenses that families face in the first months of a child's life. In a context of high cost of living, rising prices of essential goods and increasing difficulty in accessing housing, this amount is merely symbolic and reduced in view of the objectives proclaimed by the regulation.
We understand that a program of this nature should reflect a more ambitious commitment from the Parish Council to families, providing substantially greater support and compatible with the current economic reality, truly reinforcing the attractiveness of the parish for young couples.
On the other hand, the regulation establishes as a requirement that one of the parents resides and is registered in the parish for, at least, twenty four months. This requirement precisely excludes many young families who may wish to settle in Bensafrim, contrary to the stated objective of attracting new residents and combating depopulation.
Furthermore, the regulation allows the executive to exceptionally approve applications that do not meet the requirements set out, without defining objective criteria for this decision, leaving an excessive margin of discretion that can generate inequality of treatment between beneficiaries.
We also consider that the regulation should provide for mechanisms for periodically updating the value of support, indexing it to the evolution of the cost of living or allowing an automatic annual review, preventing the incentive from progressively losing its real value.
Finally, We understand that it would also make sense to provide for a periodic assessment of the effectiveness of this measure, allowing you to know the number of beneficiaries, the financial impact of the program and its possible contribution to the settlement of young families in the parish, ensuring transparent and results-based management.
The Movement Lakes with Future considers that supporting birth rates is a right political option. However, This support must be consistent enough to produce concrete effects and not be limited to a measure with limited financial scope and social impact.
For the reasons explained, We believe that this regulation constitutes a missed opportunity to create a real incentive for birth rates and the settlement of young families in Bensafrim.
In these terms, the Lagos com Futuro Movement votes against the Draft Regulation for Attribution of “Baby Hamper”.