PANI TO Subsidize 500
Adolescent Mothers To
Stay in School
The Patronato Nacional
de la Infancia (PANI)
announced that beginning
next year it will be
helping out 500
adolescent mothers who
are enrolled in public
colleges with a monthly
payment of ¢50.000
colones (us$100), in an
attempt to keep the
youths in school.
The child welfare agency
estimates that there are
1.600 adolescents,
pregnant or with
children, currently in
school and more than
12.000 may have left
their studies behind to
become mothers.
According to PANI
president, Mario Víquez,
the program aims to
reach out to girls under
the age of 19 and allow
them to complete their
education.
For ther part, the co-ordinator
of the Programa de
Madres Adolescentes del
PANI, Alexandra Barboza,
added that the money
comes from the Ley de
Cigarrillos y Licores,
which sets aside the
funds for specific
programs from tax
revenue from cigarette
and alcohol sales.
Of the ¢1.4 billon
colones that is
available from the tax
revenue, ¢840 million
has bee earmarked to
locate adolescent
mothers who have the
PANI program and school.
The program has been
running since the
beginning of this year
and will continue into
2008, as it has been
difficult to locate the
adolescents, said
Barboza.
The funds has also been
used to provide a toll
free hotline that has
helped out more than 600
adolescents.
PANI is obtaining help
from the nstituto
Nacional de las Mujeres
(Inamu) - women's
institute - who is also
providing assistance and
training for the young
mothers to re-enter the
school program.
An agreement with the
Ministerio de Educación
Pública (MEP) - public
education ministry - has
been signed for the
transfer of funds, only
requiring the approval
of the Contraloría
General de la República
(CGR) - Comptroller's
office.
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