In Garachico, the kindergarten has been closed for the third year: parents are desperate, and the authorities are promising an alternative.

In the town of Garachico, the kindergarten has been closed for three years. "La Casita Amarilla," the municipal children's center, closed back in the summer of 2023, and since then, the town's children have not been able to attend. Previously, about 20 toddlers could study there.

This kindergarten was an important place for many families from across the Isla Baja region. It operated for 21 years, starting in 2002, and during that time, it was attended by over 600 children.

Although the previous tenant was warned back in August 2022 that they were going to close the facility, the Garachico city authorities never announced a new tender. In January 2023, the tenant once again informed the local education department in writing.

Interestingly, although children did not attend the kindergarten, some scenes from the film "Under the Volcano" with William Levy, which was released in 2024, were filmed in the building, which is located near the old pier. Decorations were also made there for the Fiestas Lustrales celebration, which took place in Garachico this summer.

As a result, parents from Garachico have to take their children to kindergartens in neighboring towns. Daniel Gutiérrez, for example, has been taking his 11-month-old daughter to the "Los Duendes" kindergarten in Los Silos since she was seven months old. He and his wife work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. "Because of this, we have to get up earlier to drive. It would be much more convenient if the kindergarten was right next to us. But as it is, we have to take the child in the morning and evening, when it's hard to find a parking space in Garachico," he complains.

Daniel believes that "it's a great pity that the authorities don't care about the most essential things for the residents of Garachico. They don't think ahead and don't look for solutions to problems before they arise." He adds that he has already resigned himself to the fact that "there will be no solution, only excuses as to why the kindergarten is not opening."

Eliza Suárez recently became a mother for the second time. Although her younger daughter is still too young for kindergarten, they are already planning to send her to "Los Duendes" in Los Silos when she grows up. For Eliza and her husband, this means "a great daily effort, because we have to change our work schedule and family plans. It also means extra travel time and expenses for gasoline or public transport."

"I think it's terrible that the kindergarten is still closed. It's a very important service for families in Garachico," says Eliza. "Many people need it to be able to work. Because of this, we have to quit our jobs or ask for reduced working hours. Not everyone can afford a private kindergarten or move to another place where there are public facilities. And even if there are places in other towns, they are often not enough for those who don't live there," she adds.

Eliza does not understand "why it takes three years to announce a tender for a kindergarten, while the municipal playroom, which is located in the CEIP Antonio del Valle Menéndez school, closed in June and will already open on September 23 with a new tenant." She also recalls that the mayor of Garachico, Heriberto González, met with parents even before the previous tenant closed the kindergarten, and "promised that it would definitely open."

The mayor of Garachico, Heriberto González, says that opening the municipal kindergarten is currently impossible. He claims that "when we studied the possibility of a new tender, we realized that the numbers didn't add up. It would be unprofitable for the company to provide this service under the existing rules. In addition, we used to pay about 200 euros per month per child, and now we would have to pay 500 euros. This is not affordable for most families."

The mayor offers an alternative: to open a kindergarten that never started operating in the El Lamero residential complex. "We have almost agreed to obtain part of this land, as well as to build a new building in the CEIP Antonio del Valle Menéndez school for children aged two and over," he says. He also announced that free education for children of this age will begin in this school as early as December this year.

According to the plan of the Garachico city authorities, all primary education will be concentrated in one place: "Children aged six months to two years will be accepted into the El Lamero kindergarten, after we have renovated everything there, and children aged two years and over will be accepted into the new building of the CEIP school," he explains.

However, the mayor of Garachico did not give an exact date when this plan will become a reality.