Vrgorac received 5.6 million kuna for kindergartens, educators, and children’s programs

The City of Vrgorac’s project ‘Pčelicino novo ruho’, valued at over five million and 600 thousand kuna, is fully funded by the Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy, achieving 100 out of a possible 110 points and ranking third among the top five projects in Croatia that received co-funding decisions.

The goal of the project is to encourage demographic renewal, and in Vrgorac, this is done at the preschool level. This success is attributed to the city company Poduzetnički centar Vrgorac, established for the application and implementation of city projects and as a service for citizens to apply for national and European funds. As part of the measures to encourage demographic renewal, Poduzetnički centar Vrgorac has applied for projects in every open competition to improve the quality of preschool education services.

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“This is a great success for our Poduzetnički centar and for a city of this size. The project ‘Pčelicino novo ruho’, valued at 5,645,757.95 kuna, is financed by the Ministry of Demography and Family. With this money, we will form two groups for work in two shifts and one group for extended stay services; we will create jobs for seven educators, a speech therapist, and a special education teacher, as well as for a cleaner and a janitor on a part-time basis. Funding will also cover didactic and sensory-motor toys and equipment, as well as training for existing and new educators,” stated the Mayor of Vrgorac, Ante Pranić.

“We are also introducing four types of new programs: early English language learning, sports, dance, and drama programs. Children are our future, and I believe that by improving working conditions and material conditions, we can provide our little ones with a quality foundation during their most sensitive period, similar to what children in larger communities have,” Pranić added.

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In the period of 2017 and 2018, total investments in preschool education in Vrgorac amount to just over nine and a half million kuna, of which seven million and 800 thousand kuna are non-repayable funds from European Union funds. Investments, along with ‘Pčelicino novo ruho’, relate to several projects: energy renovation of the Kindergarten, replacement of external joinery, construction of a new facade, roofing, and replacement of heating and cooling systems, as well as the reconstruction of playgrounds. Part of these funds will be used for the repurposing of an existing building into a regional kindergarten in Dusina.