Pledge 51 – Pau

On 15 September 2020, the Communauté d’Agglomération Pau Béarn Pyrénées signed a pledge to improve childcare and support to children, reaffirming its commitment to principle 11 of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

To ensure childcare and equal opportunities for all children, regardless of their background, Pau Béarn Pyrénées has:

• Designed a territorial network of childcare houses, guaranteeing access to all children under the age of 3, and giving priority to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Communauté invests €9,729,484 for this purpose.
• Implemented the ‘Cité Éducative’ Lab in the neighbourhoods of Saragosse and Ousse des Bois, funded with €1,350,000 for three years. The Lab promotes language acquisition, reading skills, scientific, technical and digital literacy, it encourages innovation and supports parents in their role as educators.
• Invested €3million per year in children’s creativity through a joint project by the ‘El Camino’ Young Orchestra and the Pau Pays de Béarn Orchestra. This project promotes access to culture for all children, and has benefitted 350 in the past three years.

Jean Lacoste, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Health, and Régis Laurand, Deputy Mayor for Young People, said: “In Pau Béarn Pyrénées, we reinvent lifestyle and invest in human capital and quality of life for all citizens and social cohesion of our local communities. We create the most harmonious living conditions for our local population.”